"Nightmare" for Europe

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(Bild: Screenshot: kameraone)

The three-day Munich Security Conference (MSC) ended on Sunday with an emotional farewell. This year's gathering had shown that "this America under Trump is living on a different planet", said the outgoing head of the event, Christoph Heusgen.

The MSC revealed the current deep tensions between Europe and the USA. Conference director Heusgen even spoke of a "European nightmare" and a "very clarifying conference". He expressed concern about the developments in transatlantic relations. Republican US senators had been conspicuously reticent - apparently out of fear of Trump.

Gaps between Europe and the USA
The speech by J.D. Vance, who verbally attacked Germany and the EU, was received particularly critically. Vance accused European governments of restricting freedom of expression by regulating large US tech companies and dealing with the AfD.

"After Vice President Vance's speech, we must fear that our common values are no longer so common," said Heusgen.

(Bild: Screenshot: kameraone)

Decisions over Europe's head?
In addition to the transatlantic crisis, the focus was also on the war in Ukraine. Heusgen called for Europe to play a central role in possible peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. "We need to show much more strength," he explained. Europe must not just sit at the negotiating table, but must actively develop its own security plan for Ukraine.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), CDU chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj also emphasized in their contributions that Europe must be involved in all talks on a possible end to the war. There should be no negotiations between the USA and Russia without Ukraine and the European allies.

Former NATO Secretary General takes over
The 61st MSC was the last under the leadership of Christoph Heusgen. He took over the chairmanship in 2022, just a few days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. His term of office was therefore heavily influenced by the war. His predecessor Wolfgang Ischinger and numerous high-ranking participants paid tribute to Heusgen's work in recent years.

Former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has been nominated as his successor. Under his leadership, the MSC will have to continue to deal with the changing geopolitical situation and the future of transatlantic relations.