Cross-Cutting Currents: Transatlantic Primer 2022

01/26/2022
By The Bertelsmann Foundation

In a report released this week, the Bertelsmann Foundation provides a interesting update on the key states shaping the trans-Atlantic relationship.

This is how the foundation describes the report:

The U.S. and Europe have an opportunity to engage closely on a broad range of challenges in 2022. To that end, the Bertelsmann Foundation has produced Cross-Cutting Currents, a transatlantic primer, as a foundational and introductory resource for those who seek a better understanding of the transatlantic relationship. This publication addresses the most pressing issues affecting five of the transatlantic community’s key actors—the U.S., Germany, France, Italy, and the UK. This bloc of countries face several domestic and foreign challenges that require multilateral solutions.

Cross-Cutting Currents provides an introductory overview of each transatlantic partner’s approach to domestic, transatlantic, and global challenges. The publication contains 25 primers covering five distinct policy domains—trade, security, climate, China, and technology. Each primer consists of a concise two-page background of the country’s past, present, and anticipated future policy positions. 

The publication also includes a two-page spread of infographics. The first is a chart that shows where various political parties stand on specific subtopics in each policy field. The chart includes traffic light indicators to display where individual parties stand: green signifies support; red indicates opposition; yellow means mixed views; and grey designates no official position. The second infographic provides a snapshot of public opinion on questions pertaining to each policy area. Finally, the reader can find a glossary at the end of the publication of bolded terms found throughout the text and an overview of all featured political parties. 

The combination of primers, political party charts, and citizen surveys about each country showcases where transatlantic policies converge and where there is room for allies to cooperate in 2022.

The report in PDF format can be found here.

Or it can be read in e-book format below: