Spying Scandal 2.0: Will the German-American Partnership Survive?

Spying Scandal 2.0: Will the German-American Partnership Survive?

Speaking Engagement
On Wednesday, only days after the arrest of a suspected double agent working for a German foreign intelligence agency, news broke of a second suspected US spy, this time involved with the German defense ministry. The following day, the US intelligence chief in Berlin was expelled from the country in an emphatic statement from the German government. As the most powerful foreign policy actor in Europe, Germany has long been an important ally to the United States on issues ranging from Russian aggression in Ukraine to the ongoing Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership talks. However, combined with revelations on NSA spying last autumn, the latest disclosure has triggered a fierce debate in Germany on the future of its relationship with the United States. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has weighed in on the scandal as “a clear contradiction as to what I regard as trusting cooperation between agencies and partners,” and other officials in the German government have suggested that the damage done to the German-American alliance is irreparable.

To discuss the impact of the recent revelations on the German-American partnership, with consideration from both the US and German perspectives, the Atlantic Council will host a members’ conference call with Annette Heuser, executive director of the Bertelsmann Foundation and Ambassador Robert Kimmitt, senior international counsel for Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, LLP. The event will be moderated by Atlantic Council President and CEO Fred Kempe.

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