A large number of European and international heads of state and government are in Bavaria for the Munich Security Conference (MSC), which takes place from February 13 to 15.

Around 65 heads of state and government are expected to attend, along with around 450 representatives from global politics, academia and the defense industry.

In the foreword to the newly published MSC report for 2026, conference chairman Wolfgang Ischinger writes that "rarely in the recent history of the conference have there been so many fundamental questions on the table at the same time."

It highlights core issues such as Europe's security, the future of the transatlantic partnership and whether the international community is still capable of managing an increasingly "complex and contested" world.

The report portrays a world in the midst of widespread political, economic and security turmoil.

At its center is a diagnosis that sets the tone for the entire document and the conference itself: "The world has entered a destructive political period."

'Security, conditionality and obligation'

According to the report, careful reforms and gradual policy adjustments are increasingly giving way to more radical restructuring that deliberately questions existing systems, or even aims to dismantle them.

The country most visibly associated with this change, he argues, is the United States.

The very state that played a crucial role in building the post-war international order is now seen as one of the main drivers of its transformation.

More than 80 years after it first took shape, that order is itself now "under destruction."

The report emphasizes that this is not just about individual political decisions, but about a broader change in the direction of American policy.

Washington, he argues, is challenging the core principles that have shaped international cooperation for decades, from the role of international organizations and the importance of rules-based trade to close partnerships with democratic allies.

The effects of this change are being felt around the world, but especially in Europe, which has long relied on the US for security but now experiences its partnership as "unstable", shifting between "assurance, conditionality and coercion".

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to attend this year's conference.

According to reports, Vice President JD Vance's attendance was initially confirmed, but canceled a week later.

His speech at last year's conference was widely described as a "reckoning with Europe" and drew criticism from several politicians, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.

Chancellor Merz will lead this year's German delegation, writes € news.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde and many European heads of state and government are also expected to attend.

Rubio will attend "with a large delegation," and US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has also confirmed her attendance.

At the opening of the conference, US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker commented on the report's findings, rejecting its conclusions and emphasizing that the US has no intention of undermining NATO or other alliances.

"This is the first thing I reject; we are trying to make NATO stronger, not to withdraw or reject NATO, but to make it function as if it were intended as an alliance of 32 strong and capable allies," he said.

He reiterated that European allies must increase their defense spending and demonstrate that they can "deliver" on their commitments, including new NATO spending targets.

Loss of faith

Another key finding of the MSC report is a growing loss of trust in political systems.

In many Western countries in particular, trust is declining significantly.

Politicians are increasingly seen as "guardians of the status quo," "administering paralyzed political systems that seem insensitive to most people."

As trust in the ability of politics to improve everyday life diminishes, the report argues, electorates begin to become open to more radical approaches.

For many people, sudden disruptions begin to seem more appealing than gradual changes.

As a result, political actors who deliberately embrace confrontation and promise to dismantle existing structures rather than reform them are gaining influence.

Before the conference, there was debate about whether to invite the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Ischinger is of the opinion that the party should be involved as long as it is not banned by German authorities, and three AfD policy specialists, including Bundestag member Rudiger Lucassen, will now participate.

In addition to the transatlantic relationship, the MSC report also addresses Russia's war against Ukraine and the related hybrid threats facing Europe.

He argues that Europe must prepare for a situation in which American support remains important but can no longer be taken for granted.

Therefore, many European governments are pursuing a dual approach: keeping the US closely engaged, while at the same time building greater capacities to act independently, for example through rearmament.

The report emphasizes that this sense of insecurity is not limited to Europe.

In the Indo-Pacific, doubts are growing about the US's long-term commitment to the regional security order, while China's rise and "increasingly assertive behavior" are contributing to a more "unstable" environment.

At the same time, the report presents the current turmoil as an opportunity, noting that when old structures are shaken, "long-stalled" developments can begin to move again.

For example, pressure on European NATO members has led many countries to significantly increase their defense spending.

New partnerships in trade, security, and technology are also emerging to end Europe's dependence on the US.

However, it remains uncertain whether this will ultimately lead to a more stable world - and many of the heads of government gathering in Munich this weekend worry that a looser global order could primarily benefit the largest and most powerful states. /Telegraph/

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