The European Liberal Forum (ELF) in cooperation with the Institute for Politics and Society and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation invites you to a debate "New-old" government: The future of the Grand Coalition in Germany.
After the referendum inside the Social Democratic Party, at least one topic is clear: Germany will have a coalition chaired by Angela Merkel between Christian and Social Democrats. Although the negotiations took quite a long time, the result proves the stability of German politics. On the other hand there is still an issue that the stability can rapidly change to the stagnation. Many experts are worried, that new positions inside the coalition, particularly Social Democratic Minister of Finance, could lead to a rejection of actual shifting heading to the stability in European monetary policy. The new coalition agreement is also dedicated to opened immigration policy, which is more and more unpopular among the population.
Can the “new-old” government find a recipe to attract voters back from the increasingly popular AfD? What strategy should Germany choose in its defense policy, especially in the context of uncertain support from the US and with growing Russian influence in Europe? And what impact will an open immigration policy have on the further political, economic and social development of Germany?
Speakers:
H. E. Christoph Israng, Ambassador, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Prague
Martin Zeil, Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology of Bavaria
Martin Kastler, Former MEP, Hanns Seidel Foundation
Tomáš Kafka, Director of the Central European States Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic
Zuzana Lizcová, Research Fellow, Association for International Affairs (AMO)
Moderator:
Jan Macháček, Chairman of the Board, Institute for Politics and Society
The debate will be held 17th April 2018 since 17:00 in Schebek palace, Politických vězňů 7, Prague. The working language is English without translation.
