German Chancellor Friedrich Merz opened the Munich Security Conference (MSC) on Friday with a warning that Europe has entered a new era shaped by overt great-power politics; furthermore, that it must respond by strengthening its own military, political and economic capacity while keeping its security policy firmly anchored with allies.
Merz said the international order “based on rights and rules” no longer exists “in this form,” arguing that Europe must adjust to a world in which influence, dependencies and coercion are increasingly used as tools of statecraft.
“Our freedom with our neighbors”
Merz framed Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine as the clearest marker of the shift, describing it as violent revisionism and a direct assault on Europe’s political order. He said Europe’s “first task” is to recognize the new reality and make preparations “for the new time,” stressing that Germany’s foreign and security policy would remain European in its foundations.
“Our freedom we defend with our neighbors,” Merz said, rejecting any notion of Germany acting alone and calling instead for what he described as a “program of freedom.” That program rests on four pillars: i) strengthening Europe’s military, political, economic and technological power; ii) building a more sovereign Europe as a stronger pillar within NATO; iii) renewing transatlantic ties; and iv) expanding partnerships beyond the West.
The German chancellor also argued that democracies face a double risk: too much state power can erode freedom, but too little state capacity can produce the same outcome through vulnerability and paralysis. Germany, he said, must close what he described as a gap between ambitious rhetoric and the practical means to enforce policy.
NATO anchor, European pillar
Merz emphasized that he does not see “great-power politics in Europe” as an option for Germany, but said Europe must become stronger inside NATO. He portrayed the alliance as a “competitive advantage” for both Europe and the US, even as he acknowledged a widening political and cultural distance across the Atlantic.
He also pointed to Germany’s stepped-up defense posture, including the goal of making the “Bundeswehr” (Germany’s armed forces) the strongest conventional military in Europe as quickly as possible. Additionally, he highlighted efforts to deepen European industrial and technological capacity in areas such as air defense, long-range strike capabilities and satellites.
Macron: Europe must stop underselling itself
French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking at the conference in the evening, urged Europe to project confidence rather than accept caricatures of the continent as slow, bureaucratic or weak.
Macron argued that the European project – which he described as “a political construction of sovereign states” – has institutionalized peace and created mutual economic dependence, and that Europe should treat these achievements as strengths rather than liabilities. He also said that Europe should not concede to Russia’s demands, but increase pressure, while continuing to back Ukraine.
High-stakes weekend in Munich
Friday’s opening set the tone for a weekend of high-level diplomacy. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Merz on the sidelines of the conference, ahead of a closely watched speech he is due to deliver on Saturday.
As the first day of the Munich Security Conference came to a close, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Europe must be able to act independently, while remaining a strong and reliable partner of the US – arguing that only a confident, self-reliant Europe can credibly defend its security and support Ukraine.
Zelensky is also expected to accept the Ewald von Kleist Award 2026 – traditionally honoring those who make an outstanding contribution to peace and conflict resolution – at the Bavarian State Chancellery on Saturday. In its citation, the Munich Security Conference said this year’s award honors the “brave Ukrainian people” in deep appreciation of their courage, sacrifice and unwavering resolve to defend their freedom, as well as “the freedom of all of Europe,” and commemorates those who have been killed or injured during Russia’s full-scale invasion. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is scheduled to deliver the laudatory address, while Zelensky is expected to give brief remarks.