198. Voices from Munich Security Conference
At the annual Munich Security Conference, we are getting a dose of statements every day, sometimes blunt, sometimes funny, and sometimes very childish.
Let us see who said what.
Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, who drew the most applause, warned Donald Trump that the US acting alone has exhausted its power and may have already forfeited its status as the world leader.
He contended that the old order had passed and that, in this new era of superpowers, even the US was approaching the limits of independent action.
Merz said: “In the era of great power rivalry, even the United States will not be powerful enough to go it alone. Dear friends, being a part of Nato is not only Europe’s competitive advantage. It is also the United States’ competitive advantage. So let’s repair and revive transatlantic trust together.”
He also revealed that he had discussed potentially joining France’s nuclear umbrella with French President Emmanuel Macron, emphasizing his push for Europe to establish a more robust, independent security strategy.
Merz criticised US policy, saying that “the culture war of the MAGA movement is not ours and we do not believe in tariffs and protectionism, but in free trade. We stand by climate agreements and the World Health Organization.”
He didn’t stop there. “In the age of great powers, our freedom is no longer a given. It is threatened,” he said, adding that “firmness and willpower will be needed to assert this freedom”. Challenging Trump’s unilateral style, Merz added: “Autocracies may have followers, democracies have partners and allies.
US Democrats also let loose with their blunt criticism of Donald Trump.
California Governor Gavin Newsom urged Europeans to realize that groveling to Trump’s demands makes them look pathetic on the world stage.
The Arizona senator, Ruben Gallego, said, “Trump is destroying our world reputation or potentially our economic might around the world because he is being petty. None of this is rational. Everyone needs to stop pretending this is rational.”
Amidst all this, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio entered.
He said that, in rebuilding the global order, it would not be necessary to dismantle institutions such as the UN, but to reform and rebuild them, arguing that it had been Trump, not the UN, who was solving crises in Gaza and Ukraine.
He described America as “a child of Europe” and made a heartfelt yet conditional proposal for a new partnership, emphasizing that the two continents are meant to be connected. However, he was not offering a partnership of equals, but an alliance largely framed in Donald Trump’s terms.
His arrogance was evident when he stated that the US was ready, if needed, to establish a new world order, adding, “while we are alone, it is our preference and hope to do this together with you, our friends here in Europe.”
The speakers candidly stated that the world must no longer tolerate individuals who openly threaten global stability and hide behind international law, even as they regularly violate it.
Now see which statement falls under which category.