With the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States, America will realign its leadership role in the world. This offers Europe and America the opportunity to open a new chapter in transatlantic relations. For Germany and for North Rhine-Westphalia, this opens up the opportunity to introduce new ideas and adapt their strategies to the changing reality. The existing instruments of political and economic management can be reviewed and the focus of action redefined.
The global structure is currently changing dramatically. A simple "business as usual" would lead transatlantic relations to a political and economic dead end. Aware of this, a cross-disciplinary, international group of scholars and practitioners on both sides of the Atlantic, invited by the Henry Kissinger Professorship at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, has been developing thoughts on the future framework and the resulting policy space for transatlantic relations since summer 2020. The consideration that the current geopolitical shifts and the expected focus of the new American administration would require considerable efforts and new emphases from the European allies formed the starting point.
Another focal point was the goal of formulating North Rhine-Westphalia's role and contribution in a redefined transatlantic partnership. This includes, in particular, strengthening the attractiveness and competitiveness of North Rhine-Westphalia as an economic region. The guiding principle here was the idea that, in a rapidly changing world, investment prospects, competitive issues, priorities and economic policy strategies depend to an even greater extent than before on trends that must be thought of in the context of geopolitical developments. In its final recommendations, the report outlines the global policy framework for future transatlantic relations and presents concrete proposals for current and, above all, future priority issues in the transatlantic relationship.