European Policy at Work in Germany - EUGOV Visits in Berlin

The Master in Advanced European and International Studies - Applied European Policy and Governance Studies (EUGOV) students gained hands-on insights on European policy by visiting various institutions involved in European policy-making in Berlin.

At the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Berlin, they were welcomed by Magdalena Szuber-Zasacka, who spoke about the priorities of the current Polish EU Council presidency, laying the focus on European security in all its dimensions. She stressed the deepening relations between Poland and Germany and the importance of the Weimar Triangle. She also highlighted Poland’s support for Ukraine and presented details of new initiatives in EU defence and security.

At the Representation of the State of Saarland in Berlin, the students who chose the trilingual option learnt how the German Bundesländer are involved in EU politics because of the German federal system. Eike Hortsch (Head of Division at the Berlin Representation), Juliane Katharina Treis (State Chancellery of Saarland) and Christian Roth (Head of the Saarland Representation in Brussels) discussed topics such as town twinning, cross-border economic activities in a border region such as Saarland and the European Greater SaarLorLux Region as an example of a cross-border cooperation within the EU. Furthermore, they gained an understanding of how European regions bring their concerns into European legislation.

In a visit to the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), the students met Mitja Schulz, Head of the Brussels office, who emphasised the European character of the automotive industry and outlined how it represents its interests, for instance with regard to the digital and green transformation going on in this industry.

Then, at the Federal Foreign Office, the students had the opportunity to learn from Johannes Leuschke, Officer in the EU Coordination Group, how complex the formation of a German position on European issues and the coordination of the many actors at the national level actually is.

Finally, during a visit to the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the students had a lively discussion with Caroline Schmidt from the Analytical Department on aspects such as the dysfunctionalities of irregular migration in the EU, the complexity and shortcomings of the integration of migrants into our societies, and populist narratives about migration that fuel prejudice and undermine serious integration and immigration efforts. The exchange also highlighted the distinction between labour market migration and humanitarian migration and the challenges associated with this.