Aspen Ministers Forum Session XXII – June 2018
In June 2018, the Aspen Ministers Forum (AMF) gathered for its 22nd session in Versailles, France. This meeting brought together over twenty former foreign ministers and twenty renowned experts from around the world.
This AMF gathering focused on the topic of a “Global Rise of Nationalism: Realities vs. Perception.” The first half of the conference focused on differentiating the phenomenon of nationalism and populism, and the common threads and key differences of nationalist movements worldwide. The group also discussed the refugee and migration crisis and its impact on European societies and economies. Later in the gathering, the former ministers and experts deliberated on the future of multilateral institutions such as NATO and the EU and the attack on truth and reason by regimes across the globe. The final discussions of the meeting focused on the actions items that can be taken forward and the tools that can be used to combat these extreme movements.
Products from this gathering included a letter addressed to President Trump, signed by sixteen former foreign ministers, encouraging the president to reinforce the value of the transatlantic alliance and the importance of NATO. The text of that letter was reported and amplified in a Politico piece, by Bloomberg news and MSNBC’s Morning Joe.