Far away, but really important: The USA is Baden-Württemberg’s most important trading partner. Transatlantic relations are on the up again. But there is more to it, thinks Prime Minister Kretschmann.
Pittsburgh (dpa / lsw) – Against the background of the Russian war of aggression, Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann believes that Europe and the USA must move even closer together. “The brutal attack on Ukraine is bringing the community of values ??in the West back onto the scene,” said the Green politician in Pittsburgh on Monday. “We can’t get caught up in little things anymore,” he said. What connects the US and Europe is much stronger than what distinguishes them, said the prime minister – and named freedom, pluralism and democracy. The war has brought the EU and the USA closer together again. That must be further strengthened.
Kretschmann emphasized how vulnerable the economy of the two regions is, for example due to the networked supply chains and the dependence on raw materials. The USA and Europe must lead the way and set standards. Kretschmann praised the fact that there are now coordinated technical standards for artificial intelligence, 3D printing and material recycling. However, transatlantic cooperation in these areas is still in its infancy, he said.
If there is an incubator for ideas and innovations, it is the transatlantic community of values. Innovations are most likely to thrive in free societies, said the head of government. Authoritarian societies would nip this in the bud. Kretschmann drew a picture of Baden-Württemberg as a pioneering region on topics such as mobility and healthcare.
The Greens politician is in the USA with a delegation of more than 100 from Baden-Württemberg. There he wants to spend five days in Pittsburgh and California making contacts. It is the head of government’s first major trip abroad since 2018. The focus is on the topics of artificial intelligence, autonomous driving and the future of the healthcare industry.
According to the State Department, the United States is the country’s most important trading partner. More than a quarter of the direct investments from Baden-Württemberg go to the USA (around 80 billion euros in 2018). The Southwest is also home to nearly 280 American companies. Kretschmann wants to expand this and present Baden-Württemberg as a strong location for business and science.
On Tuesday, however, an appointment at home gets in the way of his trip: the heads of government of the federal states are discussing the federal government’s billion-euro relief package with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD). Despite the almost 6800 kilometers distance, Kretschmann definitely wants to take part in the round – and be connected from the US state of Pennsylvania. He wants to insist on more money from the federal government in the negotiations – including for local rail transport in the federal states.
“I hope that everything will work out technically and then politically,” he said in front of the switch – and at the same time justified his trip to the US in times of crisis. In tense situations, in particular, it should be possible to do important things in parallel with crisis management, he said after his arrival in Pittsburgh. “My mantra at the moment is: Don’t always put the important things behind the urgent.” That can’t go well in the long run.
The states are currently arguing with the federal government about a billion-euro relief package. “I will join in because very important decisions are made there in the crisis,” said Kretschmann. You live in the 21st century and have learned to do digital sessions. But he missed a visit to a Bosch research center and a company for autonomous vehicles in the USA on Tuesday. After the negotiations, the Green politician travels to Sacramento in California.
