German Politics Today: Meet a Bundestag Member Series Podcasts
The American Council on Germany (ACG), the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG), and the German Studies Association (GSA) just wrapped up our newest virtual series, German Politics Today: Meet a Bundestag Member. The series offered students of German language and culture the chance to engage directly with members of the German Bundestag on timely political issues while practicing their German language skills. Each conversation was held in German.
The first session featured Metin Hakverdi, Member of the Bundestag and Germany’s new Coordinator of Transatlantic Cooperation. He joined ACG President Dr. Steven E. Sokol for a 60-minute moderated discussion—held in German—on the importance of the transatlantic relationship, incorporating questions posed by the audience. The transatlantic partnership is a key pillar of Germany’s foreign policy. The United States and Canada are Germany’s closest allies outside Europe. Large areas of common interests, shared challenges and fundamental values form a bond between our democracies on both sides of the Atlantic. How close transatlantic relations are is clear also from the multitude of societal and cultural contacts between Germany and the United States and Germany and Canada.
The second session of the Meet a Bundestag Member: German Politics Today series took place on November 20 and featured Elisabeth Kaiser, Federal Government Commissioner for Eastern Germany and Member of the Bundestag, who joined ACG President Dr. Steven E. Sokol for a discussion on the history, significance, and ongoing legacy of German reunification. The reunification of Germany marked a pivotal moment in European history, ending decades of division and reshaping the political, economic, and social landscape of the country. This session explored the challenges and opportunities that arose during the reunification process, the enduring impact on Germany’s domestic and foreign policy, and the lessons it offers for democratic societies navigating periods of transformation.
The third session of the Meet a Bundestag Member: German Politics Today series took place on April 23 and featured Deborah Düring (German Alliance 90/The Greens), who joined ACG President Dr. Steven E. Sokol for a discusussion on the transatlantic relationship and citizen engagement. Deborah Düring has been a member of the German Bundestag since October 2021. Since January 2024 she has served as the foreign policy spokesperson for the Green parliamentary group. She previously served as spokesperson for development policy. She holds a bachelor’s degree (B.A.) in Social Sciences. She completed the master’s program “International Studies / Peace and Conflict Research” in 2025 at Goethe University Frankfurt and the Technical University of Darmstadt, in cooperation with the Hessian Foundation for Peace and Conflict Research (HSFK). Alongside her studies, she worked at the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) in the field of development cooperation and with the non governmental organization Survival International. Deborah Düring spent several years living and studying in Latin America, including during a voluntary social year in an indigenous community in Costa Rica and during a semester abroad in Peru.
Following each event, the conversations will also be released as podcasts, making them easily accessible for members, students, and educators to use in the classroom.