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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).

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: - Why local authorities are the true powerhouses of democracy and drivers of structural change. - How to win over local communities by demonstrating the tangible, financial benefits of the green transition. - The 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).

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.

What do people in the industrial heartlands of the US Midwest actually think about politics? And what are the actual needs and concerns of these communities? Four weeks prior to the US presidential election, we visited the crucial electoral battlegrounds in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan together with the fellows of our Industrial Heartlands project. In this episode, the two working group leads Colleen Dougherty and Friedrich Opitz talk with Neel Brown, Managing Director of the Progressive Policy Institute, about the remarkable efforts to revitalize these once-thriving centers of industrial manufacturing but also point out the remaining challenges that became apparent both during the study tour and in the election results.

A week ago, Donald Trump moved into the White House for the second time, and the radical shift in US politics has already become abundantly clear. What factors drove voters in the industrial heartlands to lean Republican? In the fifth episode of the industrial heartlands series, Will Marshall, president and founder of the Progressive Policy Institute based in Washington D.C. analyzes the centre-left’s electoral struggles and highlights the damaging effects of declining trust in governments and democracy in the US and beyond.

The second episode showcases best practices and proposals for action from the participants of the conference in Brussels, among others John Austin, Director of the Michigan Economic Center; Jamie Driscoll, Mayor of North of Tyne in the UK; Thomas Wobben, Director for Legislative Works at the European Committee of the Regions; and Bill Peduto, former Mayor of Pittsburgh, USA, and Member of the project’s Sounding Board.

The first episode of the industrial heartlands series focuses on the keynote speech held by Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook, an important voice on transatlantic relations and Member of the Sounding Board of our Transatlantic Dialogue, on "The Democratic Imperative to Deliver for the Heartlands".

How can Germany live up to its security policy responsibilities in the Zeitenwende? Tune in to hear German Chancellor Olaf Scholz' pledge to continue helping Ukraine and journalist Anne Applebaum and Head of the German Federal Chancellery Wolfgang Schmidt discuss the fundamental ways in which we now have to rethink foreign, security and economic policy.

Listen to Anastasia Lemberg-Lvova and Gitte Zschoch in a conversation about the role of artists and culture in our society and how funders and policy makers can better support cultural workers.

Cities are a major cause of greenhouse gas pollution. However, they are also the places driving change: From modernizing buildings to making mobility sustainable, cities have plenty of tools at their disposal to become climate-neutral. But the ecological transformation is expensive. So where does the money come from? In this episode, Andreas Horchler talks to two experts in the field: Fritzi Köhler-Geib is chief economist at KfW Group, an important development finance bank. Gereon Uerz is Head of Sustainability at GROPYUS, a building company specializing in sustainable timber construction. Additional experts are Philipp Rode, Executive Director of LSE Cities and associate professorial research fellow at the London School of Economics, and Oliver Weigel, Head of the Division for urban development at the German ministry of the interior.

The 2021 German Election brought a decisive vote for change: Merkel’s center-right party lost points, while the Social Democrats and the Greens made meaningful gains. But what are the implications? In this new episode of the "Talking Progress" podcast, Ricarda Lang, Jeremy Cliffe, and Tobias Dürr discuss how a new social-green-liberal coalition can be successful.

How can regulatory frameworks best serve people while also upholding democratic principles? Tune in to an exclusive one-on-one conversation between the Executive Vice President of the European Commission for the Digital Age and Competition, Margrethe Vestager, and the Co-Chairman of the German Green Party, Robert Habeck.

What does the future hold for social democratic parties and the centre-left? Political scientists Tim Bale and André Krouwel discuss how overarching narratives and a sharpened ideological compass can help progressive big-tent parties regain much-needed trust. Tune in as these experts debate and recommend paths forward for centre-left parties across Europe.

German elections are approaching fast. What are the chances of right-wing populists and what do progressives need to do now? Listen to our new episode to find out! As the Covid-19 pandemic swept across the world, it has put the nation-state at the centre of people’s daily lives. National lockdowns, vaccine rollout strategies, and the shutdown of international travel have introduced the national framework as a dominating force. Catherine de Vries and Cas Mudde discuss what this all means for right-wing populists and how progressives must respond.

The American Rescue Plan is pumping 1.9 trillion dollars into citizens’ pockets, the economy, and measures against the Covid-19 pandemic. What has this meant for cities and urban spaces? Two former mayors discuss how cities can use this funding to build back better.