Internship KAS Paris 2008/09

TUD Dresden University of Technology
Faculty of Linguistics, Literature and Cultural Studies / Institute of Romance Studies Internship Report
(Internship as part of the General Qualifications/AQua)
Internship at the KONRAD ADENAUER STIFTUNG in cooperation with the Chair of French Studies and Francophonie at TU Dresden
October 01, 2008 to February 03, 2009, Paris

Internship report

1. introduction

The purpose of this report is to document my internship at the KONRAD
ADENAUER STIFTUNG, which I completed as part of the Bachelor's degree program in Linguistics, Literature and Cultural Studies at the TUD Dresden University of Technology.
The internship took place in the period from October 01, 2008 to February 03, 2009 in the
Foundation's international office in Paris. In the course of this internship, I therefore not only completed the compulsory internship required by the study regulations of December 5, 2006 for the subject German Studies (Literature and
Cultural Studies), but also the compulsory internship of at least ten weeks abroad in a French-speaking country, which is mandatory for Romance Studies (French).
In addition to describing the internship activities, the following pages will provide an insight into the organization and working methods of the KONRAD ADENAUER FOUNDATION as well as the aims and content of its activities.

2 . The KONRAD ADENAUER STIFTUNG

The KONRAD ADENAUER STIFTUNG1 has borne the name of the first German Chancellor since 1964. It was founded in 1955 under the name "Gesellschaft für christlichdemokratische Bildungsarbeit" (Society for Christian Democratic Educational Work). Its two main locations are Sankt Augustin near Bonn and Berlin. It is also active nationwide in two educational centers and 16 educational institutions. The KAS is committed to peace, freedom and justice and defines itself as a political foundation2, think tank3 and consulting agency that, among other things, produces analyses for political action and offers customized political advice. The KAS is particularly concerned with the promotion of European unification, the consolidation of democracy, development policy cooperation and the intensification of transatlantic relations. It is a non-profit, registered association whose bodies are a General Assembly, a Board of Directors elected for two years, which conducts the Foundation's business and manages its assets, and an Advisory Board. It is financed 96.3% by public donations, 3.1% by participant fees and 0.6% by income from funds and donations.
The foundation is active in the areas of "Policy and Advice", "International
cooperation" and "political education". It maintains an academy in Berlin, where symposia, conferences, expert meetings and exhibitions are held. The academy also includes an educational center where citizens can obtain information on important political issues of the day. The foundation also has an archive (ACDP - Archive for Christian Democratic Politics), which documents and researches the historical development of Christian democracy. The Foundation's support for gifted students aims to promote future elite performers. For this reason, the KAS awards scholarships for doctorates, for artistically oriented postgraduate studies and to young journalists. In the field of culture, the KAS promotes dialog between creative artists and citizens through the Else-Heiliger-Fonds (EHF).

With more than 70 branches on five continents, the KONRAD ADENAUER STIFTUNG now supports projects in over 100 countries worldwide. In Western Europe, it is represented in major cities such as Paris, London, Rome and Brussels. In addition, there are offices in Asia (e.g. in India, China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand), Latin America (e.g. in Argentina, Chile, Guatemala, Peru, Venezuela), the Middle East (e.g. in Israel and Jordan), Eastern Europe and in the United States.
Jordan), in Eastern Europe and in the USA. Educational and dialog programmes in these countries
These countries are supported with education and dialogue programs focusing on issues such as good governance, the rule of law, the social market economy and independent media.
The activities of the Paris office, where I completed my internship,
primarily focuses on political dialog in the areas of foreign and security policy, European
security policy, European policy and economic and social policy. The main target groups are political decision-makers, representatives from business, science and the media.
(Source: Information brochure of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Mission: Democracy! The Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Ed. Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e. V., Sankt Augustin, Berlin 2008).

3. activities during the internship

Due to the election of the French
Senate President on October 1, 2008, my first task during the internship was to create a portrait of the new Senate President Gérard Larcher. This required thorough research and reading of the French press coverage of the preceding days, in which the internal nomination campaigns of the parties for this office had taken place, as well as an evaluation of the results of the Senate elections of September 21, 2008.

On October 3, 2008, the KAS Paris organized a political dialogue with the
North Rhine-Westphalian Minister President Dr. Jürgen Rüttgers. On this occasion
Around 100 French and German political decision-makers and experts as well as representatives from the media and business were invited to a déjeuner-débat4 at which the topic "The European model of society in globalization" was discussed.
During the event itself, I assisted with the moderation of the debate. I contributed to the follow-up of the event by summarizing the speech given by Jürgen Rüttgers, as well as evaluating the German and French press with regard to their coverage of this lunchtime debate.
From October 9 to 16, my internship at KAS Paris was all about the financial crisis. The Berlin headquarters of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation had requested a report from various foreign offices on the perception and resonance of the crisis in the respective countries, taking into account the foreign, regional and financial policy effects, which was later published together with the work of the other foreign offices.5 For this purpose, it was necessary to gain an overview of the statements made by politicians - in particular by President Nicolas Sarkozy, Prime Minister François Fillon and Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, as well as the political opposition parties - and journalists with regard to the financial crisis. My task within this project consisted mainly of summarizing the relevant speeches made by Nicolas Sarkozy and François Fillon during this period and evaluating the French media.
The financial crisis and its political and economic consequences were a recurring theme of my internship in the weeks that followed. All statements made by the French and German governments in this context, be it on a European bailout fund to rescue ailing financial groups6, the nationalization of national companies or a European economic government, were noted and documented by the Foundation. In particular, we researched and prepared the press coverage in the German and French media for German and French interlocutors.

In the 2nd half of 2008, one of KAS Paris' main topics was the intensive monitoring of
France's EU Council Presidency, which ended on December 31, 2008. Against this backdrop, the Foundation monitored in particular all initiatives emanating from France at European level. In its work program, the French EU Council Presidency defined climate and energy policy
energy policy, immigration policy, defense policy and agricultural policy as
as key topics. In addition, there was the project of a Mediterranean Union, which was launched by 43 Mediterranean states in Paris on July 13 at the suggestion of the French EU Council Presidency. However, due to current political events, such as the Russia-Georgia conflict and the financial crisis, the priorities of the Council Presidency have shifted to some extent and occasionally had to take a back seat in favor of immediate crisis management.

One of my tasks in connection with the objectives of the French EU Council Presidency was to prepare a short report on the adoption of the "European Pact on Immigration and Asylum"7 by the EU heads of state and government on October 16, 2008 in Brussels, its contents and its genesis. Prior research within the media coverage was also necessary for this task. On 3 and 4 November, Brice Hortefeux, the then French Minister for Immigration, Integration, National Identity and Solidarity Development and current Minister for Labour and Social Affairs, outlined how he envisaged integration in France in the future at the third European ministerial conference on integration issues in Vichy. Part of the planned "contrat d'accueil et d'intégration", which all newly arriving immigrants in France will have to sign from 2009, is to include a lesson on the French national anthem La Marseillaise, as this is "not just a melody".8 Furthermore, there is to be a focus on teaching the French language, which all representatives of European countries agree is of great importance in the integration process.9 For this reason, all immigrants should take a language test in their home country before entering France and, if they fail, take a language course.10 Immigrants already living in France should have the opportunity to improve their French in so-called "école des parents "11 in order to teach it to their parents.
French so that they can also teach it to their children.12

On November 17, 2008 , the KAS Paris, in cooperation with the Franco-German Study Committee (Cerfa), organized at the Ifri(Institute français des relations internationales)
the 7th Franco-German Strategy Forum on the topic "The Paris-Berlin-
Washington after the American elections: Prospects for transatlantic
relations". This discussion forum was divided into three thematically different panels. The following topics were discussed: "America after the elections. A new America? The New American Administration" and "Energy Policy: Towards a Comprehensive Transatlantic Strategy - Energy Security as a Geostrategic Challenge; Energy Security as an Environmental Challenge" and "A New Beginning for the Transatlantic Alliance? NATO and Afghanistan - what "burden sharing"? NATO and Russia - what prospects? Iraq: Conditions and effects of the American troop withdrawal". The event was attended by around 60 participants from Germany, France and the USA - political decision-makers and advisors, experts, diplomats, military personnel and specialist journalists. I was also able to participate in this all-day event, as my task was to prepare a report summarizing the most important results of the discussion and the statements of the participants.

Furthermore, on December 2, 2008 , I was able to participate in the 7th WEU Parliamentary Dialogue
a dialog event that the Konrad Adenauer Foundation had already organized for the
once again in Paris with members of the WEU Parliamentary Assembly13. In this Franco-German expert dialog, members of the French and German delegations exchanged views on current political developments in Germany and France.

Towards the end of 2008, the Paris office of the KAS published a comprehensive
annual report on the Foundation's activities in France (and Spain, which is
acting from Paris). I contributed to this report by
I contributed to this report by proofreading and formatting the final version. The end of the year also included the evaluation of the French EU Council Presidency, which was reflected in numerous press articles and specialist publications. We at the KAS Paris office also dealt with this topic and my task in this context was to summarize an assessment of the results achieved during the French Council Presidency by Jean-Dominique Giuliani, President of the Robert Schuman Foundation14.

The political year 2009 started in France with the New Year's addresses by the
President, the Prime Minister and the Presidents of the National Assembly and Senate to the most important social groups, in which the fundamental reform plans for the new year were discussed. The
Paris office has documented the politicians' statements and incorporated them into a political
report, which is available on the KAS Paris homepage under the heading
"France's political start to 2009 - Political New Year's wishes and government reshuffle" on
government reshuffle" on January 20. I contributed to this report
in which I summarized the content of the politicians' New Year's speeches and evaluated how they were presented in the press.

Another important topic in January was the reshuffle of the French government after the end of the Council Presidency, which had been discussed repeatedly in the media since November 2008.15 The KAS Paris had intensively followed and documented all previous speculation about new appointments to ministerial posts and positions in the governing party. My main task was to keep the director of KAS Paris constantly informed about new personnel debates and to document the press coverage. I was also responsible for compiling brief portraits of the new officials within the government and the ruling UMP party.16

One of the last KONRAD ADENAUER STIFTUNG events I was able to attend during my internship was a panel discussion on the topic of "What economic strategies for Europe in the face of the international financial crisis? German and French approaches", which was organized on 21 January 2009 on the occasion of the 46th anniversary of the Elysée Treaty by the Maison Heinrich Heine and in cooperation with the Konrad Adenauer and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation with representatives from the European Parliament, the National Assembly and the Senate. At the heart of the debate were the operations on both sides of the Rhine to save the situation and the Franco-German relationship in this context and after the French EU Council Presidency. I also produced a report on this discussion afterwards.

On January 24, 2009, a party conference of the governing UMP party took place at which, among other things, Xavier Bertrand, until then Minister for Economic and Social Affairs, was elected as the new Secretary General of the UMP. His predecessor, Patrick Devedjan, had already been appointed Minister to the Prime Minister on December 5 and was responsible for implementing the plan to boost the economy. Since then, Bertrand has been acting head of the party. Another result of this party conference was the nomination of the list leaders with whom the UMP will run for the European elections in June 2009. Attending this party conference was the absolute highlight of my internship, as I had the opportunity to experience almost all members of the French government and President Sarkozy "live" and up close. My task afterwards was to draw up minutes of the party conference to record the most important results.

Another activity during my internship was occasional translation work. For a discussion event organized by the KAS Paris in cooperation with the Goethe Institute Bordeaux, the City of Bordeaux and the Institute of Political Science at the University of Bordeaux, I translated the French program into German. At this Fourth Franco-German Dialogue on Europe in Bordeaux, which took place on January 30, German and French experts discussed the topic "20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall - Review and Perspectives for Europe". The conference was attended by academics and political decision-makers. Among other things, the scope of these historical events, the transformation processes in Central and Eastern Europe and the current geostrategic challenges in Europe and for the EU were discussed.
in Europe and for the EU.

4. conclusion

The internship at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation was personally enriching and very instructive for me. During these four months, I not only gained a very good insight into the work of the international office of a political foundation, but also learned a lot about the political situation and the political system of my host country, France. In addition, I also gained new insights into the party landscape in Germany and the structures of the European Union.

Furthermore, through the contact - not only with my French colleagues in the KAS Paris office - but also through the involvement in the numerous events of the international office, I was able to actively participate in the cultivation of Franco-German relations with French and German discussion partners. This stay abroad was informative for me through the intercultural exchange with French people, both in terms of the French language and French culture. For example, I was able to use and improve my knowledge of French. In my free time, I had the opportunity to get to know Paris and its sights better and to benefit from the city's cultural offerings - by visiting museums, exhibitions, theater and cinema performances.

The topics of the various events that I listed in my activity report and in which I participated as part of my internship show that during these four months I also dealt intensively with international, foreign policy issues (e.g. the financial crisis, the presidential elections in the USA, the EU Council Presidency) and am now much better informed on these matters than newspaper reading could guarantee. In this respect, I perceived these sometimes historic events much more directly and learned that political processes are not abstract, but are made by people for people.

Dresden, February 19, 2009
Martina Wisser (BA German and Romance Studies, 7th semester)