Germany: the key to unlock Europe?

Aspen Institute Italia dedicates the fifteenth edition of its Aspen European Dialogue to the topic Germany: the key to unlock Europe? This year’s international conference took place in Berlin, on February 24-25. The Conference started with the analysis of Germany’s new priorities: the Grand Coalition’s first decisions and challenges, social/welfare reforms, fiscal iussue and relations with Europe. The discussion then extended to the EU as a whole and possible strategies to foster economic growth and reinforce the eurozone. The debate also focused on the importance of new budget policies. Particular attention was devoted to immigration and integration policies and the difficulty in implementing them. The conference ended with a debate on transatlantic relations in view of some important issues: relations with Russia, the effects of Putin’s strategy in using energy in foreign policy, coherence in the West’s attitude towards Hamas and the Iran problem and, finally, the opportunity of creating a core Europe in foreign policy and defense.