by Prof. Mark Vlasic, Georgetown University / Madison Law and Strategy Group

It is far from ordinary for an American to see the German Foreign Minister when he or she visits Berlin. It is even less ordinary for that American to see the German Federal Chancellor. And it is perhaps only once in a Blue Moon that one sees the German Foreign Minister and two German Federal Chancellors in the same day.

Of course it was not a Blue Moon that brought German Federal Chancellors Helmut Schmidt and Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle together at the German Historical Museum and the European School of Management and Technology on July 2, 2012 – as well as former and current U.S. Ambassadors to Germany Richard Kimmitt and Philip Murphy – but something just as special: the 60th anniversary of the Atlantik-Brücke.

Established to help build a bridge across the Atlantic Ocean, for 60 years the Atlantik-Brücke has served as a critical component in the transatlantic dialogue – and specifically – in helping bring Germans and Americans together to discuss topics of mutual concern – and of course – in building the friendship and trust that is necessary to sustain a relationship across a vast ocean of challenges. I was inducted into its Young Leaders (YL) ranks in 2010, and have been continually impressed with the caliber of people it draws from both sides of the Atlantic.

This positive impression was compounded this year by seeing the full force of the Atlantik-Brücke during its alumni conference and 60th anniversary gala. I was delighted to see not just the quality of people in attendance – but also the strength of their interest in not just maintaining our critical transatlantic relationship – but to build and strengthen it.

Like many visiting YLs, my alumni conference started a day earlier, at a UEFA Euro Cup football (or “soccer” for us Americans) championship watching party, generously hosted by Jan-Friedrich Kallmorgen (YL 2004). At the event, I realized the uniqueness of the Atlantik-Brücke: thousands of miles from home, I was in Berlin – but in a way, it still felt like home. It was not unlike an international Thanksgiving – a festive environment filled with friends.

History was made the following day at the 60th anniversary of the Atlantik-Brücke. The festivities began with the YL alumni conference at Schlossplatz 1 – at what I learned was once the East German State Council Building – the former seat of government of the now defunct German Democratic Republic (GDR). This former temple to socialism was transformed into a temple of free enterprise and capitalism, as it is now a business school: the European School of Management and Technology. Indeed, what better place to begin a YL conference focused on the theme "Partners in Responsibility" than a transformed East German State Council Building-turned international business school?!

After a warm welcome by Atlantik-Brücke Chairman Friedrich Merz, the YL conference opened with the topic, "60 Years of Transatlantic Partnership.” A dynamic panel discussed the issue.

This engaging panel was followed by one on "The Debt Crisis and Transatlantic Current Economic Challenges," which included a rich discussion by the panel participants.

In many ways, the tone for the entire day was set at the first panel, when Dr. Hulsman, referring to the German-American audience and the transatlantic alliance, stated, “we have to be real friends – so we can be frank with each other.” It was in this vain that Dr. Hulsman shared the realities of the economic crisis in America, and how it would impact what had become a traditional American post-World War II subsidization of European security. In Dr. Hulsman’s words: “One third of Americans have no private retirement; one third of American mortgages are under water; and one fifth of American wealth was wiped out after the fall of Lehman Brothers. Thus, America cannot continue to subsidize European security, because we can’t – there is no money left to do so.”

And by describing the complex relationship and partnership that exists via the transatlantic relationship, Dr. Hulsman drew a transatlantic analogy between the Rolling Stones and the US-European relationship: “It’s like with Mike and Keith – their individual work is not so good – so they need each other, much like we need each other.”

The tone and theme of the morning panels were echoed later in the day during Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle’s address to the YLs. The Minister drew upon the words of the American Vice President, noting that, “US Vice President Joe Biden was completely right three years ago when he addressed the Munich Security Conference saying 'In sharing ideals and searching for partners in a more complex world, Americans and Europeans still look to one another before they look to anyone else.'”

And perhaps having known about the focus and economic concerns of the earlier panels, the Minister was quick to add that: “We are aware of Germany’s responsibility for Europe. And we are aware of Europe’s responsibility in the world. Only this kind of Europe is attractive as a “partner in responsibility” also for the United States of America.”

Understanding that every important relationship is complex, and build on trust and frank discussion, during the question and answer period, the Minister opined that it is not possible or even necessary that we agree 100% on everything – even the best of friends disagree – and that the US and Germany should be self-confident enough to accept this.

Herein lies an important strength of the alliance that is enabled by Atlantik-Brücke. Through 60 years of effort, Germans and Americans have come together to listen to each other, to learn from each other, and even to disagree with each other. But most importantly, there is an agreement to continue the dialogue – and to facilitate a constructive, honest, enriching and enlightening debate between friends, which makes the alliance stronger.

It is important for this alliance to be strong, because, in the words of Chancellor Merkel that evening – summarizing Konrad Adenauer – “we need each other.” To the woman in the forefront of what might be the greatest crisis confronting the European Union – this is quite a statement. And for many of the Americans in the room – myself included – it was a pleasant reminder of the mutual desire to work together on some of the world’s most challenging issues.

For me, these words were especially touching, as I had served as a White House Fellow/special assistant to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who was famous for encouraging our European allies to become more engaged in our various national security efforts, sometimes to various degrees of enthusiasm from our European partners. Thus I smiled when the Chancellor used a word that was very familiar to my colleagues in the Secretary’s front office: burden-sharing.
To quote Chancellor Merkel: “The American desire for improved burden-sharing, let me be plain, is something we understand. A strong European Union must be ready and able to take on security policy responsibility above all for the European continent and around.”

In a post-Gaddafi, post-Saddam, post-Ben Ali and perhaps even post-Taliban and post-Assad world, there is no shortage of challenges that confront our Atlantic Alliance in the security area. But this current generation is fortunate to have been preceded by leaders who understood that relations don’t just happen. As was demonstrated during the YL conference and gala, they take effort and time – they take work. As Chancellor Merkel said, the founding of the Atlantik-Brücke was “a real boon” – and it must not be one that we take for granted. It is now up to the new generation of Young Leaders to ensure that the transatlantic relationship is nurtured and cared for, for as our predecessors forewarned, “we need each other” – now – and into the future.