Interview Referenced Resources

People

• President Trump - discussed in the context of the speaker having discussed issues with him, and welcomed his remarks.
• Prime Minister Fredrickson - mentioned as someone the speaker has discussed issues with.
• Secretary-General Mark Rutte - mentioned as someone the speaker has discussed issues with.
• Georgia Meloni - mentioned as having formulated a set of proposals with the speaker for a special EU summit.
• Mario Draghi - mentioned in relation to his report on competitiveness, and that he visited Berlin to discuss his proposals.
• Enrico Letta - mentioned in relation to his report on the completion of the internal market.
• Katharina Reiche - mentioned as being responsible for energy costs and their reduction.
• The finance minister - mentioned as being on the first row, in the context of reforms.
• The Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy - mentioned as being present and seeing opportunities for the EU.

Organizations

• Germany - mentioned as the speaker's country, which went down a bitter road in the 20th century, and is now working on regaining economic strength and making Europe a key player.
• NATO - mentioned as the strongest alliance in history, founded on a certain logic, and that European allies must do more to secure the high north within its framework.
• United States administration - mentioned as having demanded greater influence in Greenland and arguing it's an imperative to counter security threats.
• Russia - mentioned as posing a threat in the Arctic and engaging in hybrid attacks and war against Ukraine.
• Ukraine - mentioned as the target of Russia's war, and that Europe must continue supporting it.
• Denmark - mentioned as a neighbor and partner in Europe that can count on Germany's solidarity, and that Germany will protect it.
• Greenland - mentioned in the context of the United States administration demanding greater influence and that Germany will protect it.
• European Union (EU) - mentioned in various contexts, including making progress on trade agreements, needing to put its house in order, reducing bureaucracy, and a special summit to set its course. Also referred to as an economic area and a bloc.
• European Parliament - mentioned as having put an obstacle in the way of the Mercosur deal and that it may become a bottleneck for decisions.
• Mercosur - mentioned as a trade agreement that has been signed and is considered fair and balanced.
• EU Commission - mentioned as having the monopoly for making proposals within the EU.
• IMF (International Monetary Fund) - mentioned as having improved its foresight for Germany's economy.
• Swiss companies and workers - mentioned as a point of comparison for working hours in Germany.

Documents

• The Draghi report - mentioned as a report on competitiveness, and questions are raised about its implementation.
• Enrico Letta's report - mentioned as a report on the completion of the internal market.
• The Lisbon process - mentioned as a past initiative to make Europe the most competitive region in the world.
• The entire program for the internal market - mentioned as having been implemented on January 1st, 1993, creating momentum for the EU.

Tools

• None explicitly mentioned.

Technologies

• Artificial intelligence (AI) - mentioned in the context of requiring industrial scale and Germany investing in high-performance AI and creating the digital infrastructure for a competitive AI economy.
• Gigafactories - mentioned as an area of investment in Germany.

Concepts/Ideas

• Partnerships and alliances among equals - mentioned as Germany's greatest strength, based on mutual trust and respect.
• Great power rivalry - mentioned as an expression of the threat posed by Russia and a characteristic of the current global landscape.
• Hybrid attacks - mentioned as a tactic used by Russia in the Baltic Sea.
• Transatlantic partnership - mentioned as a common interest and based on principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, with a warning that new tariffs would undermine it.
• Sovereignty - mentioned as a principle of the transatlantic partnership and something to be asserted by strengthening defense.
• Territorial integrity - mentioned as a principle of the transatlantic partnership.
• Tariffs - mentioned as something that would undermine transatlantic relations, and that they need to be replaced by rules.
• Isolationism and protectionism - mentioned as having no room in Germany's agenda.
• Open markets and trade opportunities - mentioned as something Europe wants to offer.
• Rules for fair trade and level playing fields - mentioned as something Europe wants to strengthen.
• State-sponsored, unfair trade practices - mentioned as something Europe must be the antithesis to.
• Raw material protectionism - mentioned as something Europe must be the antithesis to.
• Tax prohibition - mentioned as something Europe must be the antithesis to.
• Arbitrary tariffs - mentioned as needing to be replaced by rules.
• Free trade agreement - mentioned in the context of establishing one between India and the European Union.
• Entrepreneurial freedoms and personal responsibility - mentioned as areas where Germany and Europe have unnecessarily curtailed potential for growth.
• Security and predictability - mentioned as taking precedence over excessive regulation.
• Excessive regulation - mentioned as something that needs to end, and that Europe has become the world champion of it.
• Bureaucracy - mentioned as needing substantial reduction in Europe.
• Single market - mentioned as having been created to form the most competitive economic area, but now facing over-regulation.
• Capital Markets Union - mentioned as an area where rapid progress is needed.
• Mittelstand - mentioned as something that has to be reckoned with in Germany.
• Renewable energies, storage, and modern gas power plants - mentioned as the focus for Germany's electricity supply.
• Digital transformation - mentioned as being at the heart of Germany's efforts.
• High-tech agenda - mentioned as guiding Germany's research and technology policy.
• Enlightenment - mentioned as a source of inspiration for the idea that fate is in our hands.
• Geopolitical backdrop - mentioned as complex and perhaps the most complex since the Cold War or 1945.
• Productivity - mentioned as a big obstacle for the German economy.
• Energy costs, bureaucratic burdens, taxes, and labor costs - mentioned as four obstacles in terms of costs for the German economy.
• Security system, pension, health, and working time - mentioned as areas needing reform in Germany's labor costs.
• Nuclear power plants - mentioned as having been switched off as a final decision.
• The Lisbon process - mentioned as a past attempt to make Europe competitive.
• Sclerosis of the European Union - mentioned as a past concern that is being revisited.

Places

• Germany - mentioned as the speaker's country and the subject of economic and defense policies.
• Greenland - mentioned in the context of the US demanding greater influence there.
• The high north - mentioned as an area of security concern and requiring greater NATO focus.
• The Baltic Sea - mentioned as a location of hybrid attacks by Russia.
• Ukraine - mentioned as the target of Russia's war.
• The Arctic - mentioned as an area where Russia poses a threat.
• Europe - mentioned in various contexts regarding its economic strength, geopolitical influence, defense capabilities, and the need for unity.
• The Hague - mentioned as the location of a historic NATO summit.
• India - mentioned as a destination for the President of the European Commission to establish a free trade agreement.
• Mexico - mentioned as a country with which Europe is finalizing trade agreements.
• Indonesia - mentioned as a country with which Europe is finalizing trade agreements.
• Brussels - mentioned as the location of a European Council meeting.
• Belgium - mentioned as the location of an extraordinary meeting of the European Council.
• Davos - mentioned as the location of the World Economic Forum.
• Berlin - mentioned as the place where Mario Draghi visited the speaker.