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Industrial Heartlands: The Future of Transatlantic Relations: Rules, Rights, and the Rise of the Subnational
In the final episode of our "Talking Progress" series, we push past the headlines of friction and trade disputes to uncover a resilient new framework for cooperation: subnational diplomacy. When national governments falter, it is our cities, states, and industrial regions that are stepping up to protect democratic values, spearhead green innovation, and drive local economic opportunity.
This episode brings you the crucial takeaways from the second panel of our closing conference, “Heartlands: Navigating Rearmament, Recarbonisation, and Realignment” (December 2025). Host Florian Ranft sits down with two renowned American policy experts and practitioners to discuss how local leaders can keep the transatlantic spirit alive from the ground up.
Featured Guests:
- Ambassador Nina Hachigian: Founder of ALLIES and former U.S. Special Representative for City and State Diplomacy.
- John C. Austin: Senior Fellow at the Eisenhower Institute (Gettysburg College) and the Brookings Institution.
Key talking points in this finale episode:
- The New Vanguard:With more than half the world’s population living in cities, local governments are the most trusted and capable actors to champion climate action and democratic resilience.
- A Global Economic Opportunity Order: How Europe and its democratic allies can build a robust, high-tech, and self-reliant economy without bowing to authoritarian models.
- Pragmatic Collaboration: Concrete themes for future city-to-city partnerships, from participatory budgeting and youth engagement to the safe, worker-friendly regulation of AI in local government.
This episode is narrated by Jan Kjell Lange.
This podcast is produced in the context of the [Transatlantic Dialogue on the Industrial Heartlands: Shaping the Future](https://www.industrial-heartlands.com/) project. A project by [Das Progressive Zentrum](https://www.progressives-zentrum.org/) and distinguished partners at [The Progressive Policy Institute](https://www.progressivepolicy.org/), [Georgetown University’s BMW Center for German and European Studies](https://global.georgetown.edu/georgetown_units/bmw-center-for-german-and-european-studies) and the [Chicago Council on Global Affairs](https://globalaffairs.org/), and with the support of the [German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action](https://www.bmwk.de/Navigation/EN/Home/home.html).
18 May 2026
Industrial Heartlands: Shifting the Tide through Local Leadership
In the fifth episode of our "Talking Progress" series, we put the spotlight on the crucial role of local governance. Looking at the Industrial Heartlands in both the US and Germany, we explore how local governments shape the day-to-day lives of citizens, and why delivering reliable answers on the ground is the most effective remedy against the populist radical-right.
This episode brings the key insights from our closing conference, “Heartlands: Navigating Rearmament, Recarbonisation and Realignment” (December 2025), straight to your ears. We feature a high-level Mayors' Panel where Steve Patterson (Mayor of Athens, Ohio) and Dr Eckart Würzner (Lord Mayor of Heidelberg) share their concrete success stories and strategies for achieving a Just Transition. Chair: Claire Ainsley (Director of the Project on Center-Left Renewal at the Progressive Policy Institute)
Key talking points in this episode:
- Aufzählungs-TextWhy local authorities are the true powerhouses of democracy and drivers of structural change.
- Aufzählungs-TextHow to win over local communities by demonstrating the tangible, financial benefits of the green transition.
- Aufzählungs-TextThe vital role of subnational diplomacy and transatlantic city-to-city cooperation in tackling global uncertainties.
The essay by Steve Patterson that is featured in this episode may be found [here](https://www.industrial-heartlands.com/).
This episode is narrated by Jan Kjell Lange, with contributions by Milan Maushart.
This podcast is produced in the context of the [Transatlantic Dialogue on the Industrial Heartlands: Shaping the Future](https://www.industrial-heartlands.com/) project. A project by [Das Progressive Zentrum](https://www.progressives-zentrum.org/) and distinguished partners at [The Progressive Policy Institute](https://www.progressivepolicy.org/), [Georgetown University’s BMW Center for German and European Studies](https://global.georgetown.edu/georgetown_units/bmw-center-for-german-and-european-studies) and the [Chicago Council on Global Affairs](https://globalaffairs.org/), and with the support of the [German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action](https://www.bmwk.de/Navigation/EN/Home/home.html).
28 Jan 2025
Industrial Heartlands: Foreign Policy for the Middle Classes – New Industrial Policy in Times of Geoeconomic Shift
In light of the recent geo-economic shifts accelerated by the pandemic, global crises and conflicts, and the ongoing efforts to tackle the climate crisis, one group is facing particular challenges: The middle class in the former industrial heartlands across the US and Europe.
In the third episode of our series on the industrial heartlands, we hear from Brencia Berry, Political Director of the US Democratic National Committee, Franziska Brantner, Parliamentary State Secretary in the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Holger Mann, Social Democrat Member of the German Parliament and Tim Ryan, former Democratic US Congressman for Ohio how residents of the industrial heartlands in the US and Germany should be part of the conversation around national green transition policies and what can be done to lessen their economic concerns. This discussion was part of the Progressive Governance Summit in Berlin on 21 June, 2024.
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