Finance Ministry around the world 10 January 2018 The Finance Ministry at the German Embassy in Washington, D.C. The German Embassy in the capital of the United States of America is also strategically important for the Finance Ministry. As the head of the finance division, Elke Kallenbach and her colleagues primarily deal with U.S economic, financial, monetary and tax policies. Source: istock/fotolia The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany comprises a political section, an economic affairs section, a section responsible for communications and cultural matters, a legal and consular section, an administrative section, and a defence section headed by a military attaché. The Ambassador is Peter Wittig. The Embassy has a total of 230 staff. The Embassy s economic affairs section, which includes the finance division, comprises 26 staff from seven ministries. The finance division deals with all the subjects that are relevant to the Finance Ministry, especially issues concerning economic trends in the U.S.; economic, financial, monetary and tax policy; issues involving G7 and G20 Finance Ministers; and questions concerning the budgetary process, financial market regulation and measures to combat money laundering and international terrorist financing. The division s responsibilities also include explaining Germany s and the EU or the eurozone s financial policies in the host country, and representing Germany s position and interests. One important task is to maintain contacts and work together with relevant U.S. institutions, particularly the Treasury, the Federal Reserve, the tax authorities, and competent congressional committees, as well as with colleagues from the EU and some G20 countries, and from local think tanks.
Another equally important and exciting task is preparing and holding bilateral meetings and looking after high-ranking delegations, including representatives of the Federal government and the Finance and Budget Committees of the Bundestag. Fixtures in the calendar each year include accompanying the Finance Minister s delegation to the annual and spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Washington. The meetings of the G20 finance ministers are held at the same time including the final meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors under the German G20 presidency that was held in Washington on 12 13 October 2017. Other opportunities for the Finance Ministry officials to work in Washington also include posts in the offices of the German executive directors and the staff of the IMF and World Bank. Impressions from Washington Elke Kallenbach welcomes the German delegation ahead of the IMF Annual Meeting
Former Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble and Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann with the team from the Finance Ministry (including Elke Kallenbach) at the meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in Washington, D.C., on 12 and 13 October 2017, during Germany s G20 presidency Elke Kallenbach (second from the right) presents the results of Germany s G20 presidency at the Model G20 Symposium at the American University in Washington, D.C.
Birgit Reuter with Michael Piwowar, Commissioner at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Source: US-Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Tax expert Antje Pflugbeil at the German Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Sightseeing after work: the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. In front of the German Embassy in Washington, D.C. (from left to right: Silke Meyer-Kaul, Elke Kallenbach and Birgit Reuter) Interview with Elke Kallenbach Ms Kallenbach, you are Head of Division at the German Finance Ministry and are currently responsible for the finance section at the German Embassy in Washington, D.C. Please tell us how you came to have this job.
My interest was piqued immediately when, in 2015, the Bundestag s Budget Committee approved four new posts for Finance Ministry heads of section at the German embassies in Washington, Beijing, London, and Paris. Before that, most foreign postings available for Finance Ministry employees were at policy officer rank. The opportunity to build up a new financial division together with three of my colleagues from the Finance Ministry, who were already working as Financial Counsellors at the Embassy, was very appealing to me. Most of my previous roles at the Finance Ministry had an international dimension: I had been Private Secretary to State Secretary Caio Koch-Weser, as well as working in the Directorates-General for European Policy, for Economic and Fiscal Policy Strategy, and for Financial Market Policy. I had also previously worked as a Financial Counsellor at the Permanent Representation in Brussels and at the Embassy in Washington. So the prospect of another foreign posting really made sense to me. Tell us how you came to move from Berlin to the German Embassy in Washington. I have my own kind of special relationship with the U.S. I d been on a school exchange to Virginia and studied in Wisconsin, and, as I just mentioned, I d already spent three years working in Washington. And I ve spent many a holiday in the U.S. Each visit gave me an entirely new picture of the country. I'll admit that, when I applied for the job, I didn't believe that I really would have to work with the present administration. But, as strange as it may sound, the time since the election couldn t have been more fascinating. As a Japanese colleague said to me the other day: President Trump has made diplomacy great again. Where do you live in Washington? Was it difficult to find accommodation? In my opinion, the Embassy in Washington is one of the Finance Ministry s most interesting postings, both professionally and personally. That goes for everyone: families with children of all ages, couples, singles, for young people, and for the young at heart. Of course Washington isn t New York but you can go there at the weekends if you like. Obviously moving across the Atlantic involves a great deal of work, but there are a lot of upsides, once you ve struggled through all the formalities for various applications, forms, insurances and banks, flat hunting, and so on. The work is fascinating, you meet incredibly interesting people, the range of leisure activities available is great, the houses and flats are beautiful and last but not least you also get a foreign posting bonus and rent subsidy. Our visitors are always charmed by the city: Not only does it offer many famous government buildings, monuments and museums on the National Mall, it now also boasts a lot of cycle paths. How do you generally spend your days? Each morning, we start by drawing up an overview of the important news of the day, replying to the many e-mails that have already arrived from Germany, and because of the time difference try to make any calls to Berlin that may be important. At the morning meeting for higher-ranking staff, we discuss the most important issues and appointments with the Ambassador. For example, we might help the Ambassador prepare for discussions with Senators and high-ranking government officials (E.G. on tax reform) and accompany him. We talk regularly with the German Desks at the U.S. Treasury and State Departments, and with staffers attached to the Congressional finance and banking committees. There are regular meetings with Financial Counsellors from EU countries. But, since the new President was inaugurated, adhoc discussions with other embassies have become much more important (particularly the larger EU states, the European Commission, Switzerland, Canada and Japan). If we have official visitors, for example from the Federal Chancellery, ministries, or the Bundestag, we prepare a schedule of meetings and accompany visitors to all the appointments. One feature that is specific to Washington is its highly developed network of think tanks which give you the opportunity to follow or participate in discussions on all sorts of specialist issues at the highest level. And, of course, we report regularly on U.S. financial, budgetary, tax and financial market policies. Tell us about a professional highlight during your time in Washington.
For employees from the German Finance Ministry here in Washington, the visits of the German Finance Minister and his delegation to the IMF s Annual and Spring Meetings are, of course, among the main highlights. The close of the German G20 presidency and Federal Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble s farewell tour last October were also truly special. We are all very interested to see whom we will be welcoming as the Finance Minister when he or she comes to the Spring Meeting in April 2018. When will your time in Washington come to an end, and what do you plan on doing afterwards? My three-year posting ends in December 2018, with the possibility of a one-year extension. What my future holds back in Berlin is still quite open. I have no precise ideas and am happy to simply wait and see not least because I ve already worked in a wide range of Directorates-General at the Finance Ministry. In all honesty, which city do you prefer: Washington or Berlin? Berlin is my adopted home. In 1999, when the Federal Government moved to Berlin, I made a conscious decision to move from the Bundesbank in Frankfurt and apply with the Finance Ministry. At the same time, being able to look at Germany, its politics and society from an outsider s perspective has massively broadened my horizon. Given the chance, I would happily work abroad again and can warmly recommend doing so! More on this topic Finance Ministry around the world G20 German Missions in the United States Federal Ministry of Finance