Merz buries the old world order: "Europe's vacation is over"

BarcelonaGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called for a strong Europe and a return to the realpolitik In a world where the rules-based world order "no longer exists," the German Chancellor, in his opening address to the Munich Security Conference, outlined a scenario increasingly defined by great power rivalry, in which "our freedom is no longer guaranteed; it is threatened." Despite acknowledging the need to maintain a joint defense strategy with the United States, Merz admitted that a "deep chasm" has opened between the two sides of the Atlantic. In a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the Conference, he called on Washington to "repair and rebuild trust," weeks after Donald Trump threatened NATO territory militarily with a possible invasion of Greenland. "In an era of great power rivalry, not even the United States is strong enough to go it alone," the German Chancellor said.

According to a post on his Twitter account by German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, the meeting between Merz and Rubio served as an opportunity for the German head of government and the US Secretary of State to express their "agreement on many issues, including a strong NATO and a strong Europe." "The United States and Germany are close friends and firm partners. Today's meeting with Secretary of State Rubio and the Chancellor reaffirmed the strong transatlantic ties based on our shared interests and understandings," Wadephul stated.

The Foreign Minister's remarks contrast sharply with the forceful speech delivered by Merz at the inaugural conference. The Chancellor asserted that recent events (although he did not explicitly mention them, he was alluding to Trump's threat regarding Greenland and the imposition of US tariffs) have forced Europeans to end their "long vacation from world history." The speech sets the tone for a summit overshadowed by the realization that transatlantic relations are wounded, but perhaps not entirely broken.

Nuclear talks

Meanwhile, the Chancellor admitted that Berlin has begun confidential talks with France on nuclear deterrence in Europe. In his view, the region must strengthen itself to restore its relationship with the United States. These statements were confirmed shortly afterward by French President Emmanuel Macron, who acknowledged the talks with Merz to explore "how to articulate French nuclear deterrence across Europe." This could represent a paradigm shift in European security, especially for Germany, which until now has relied entirely on Washington's nuclear umbrella through NATO. France possesses the only fully independent nuclear arsenal in Europe and could sign agreements to activate it in the event of attacks on allied countries. Macron was even more explicit in his defense of European unity than his German counterpart. The French President highlighted Europe's "achievements" and the need for its citizens to feel proud. "Look at the indicators of life expectancy, health, education, and freedom." "We still believe in science when we talk about health," he said, alluding to the Trump administration. "We are a space not of coercion but of cooperation." The leader proudly declared that Europe is a "political construct of free and sovereign states" that has managed to "institutionalize peace through economic independence." "It's not an outdated concept; we must advocate for it," he asserted. For all these reasons, Macron argues that Europe must become a geopolitical power by accelerating joint strategies in defense, technology, and "risk reduction": "I'm not talking about France or Germany becoming a geopolitical power, but about Europe as a whole." Macron also appealed to European responsibility in Ukraine and maintained that "there will be no peace without Europeans." In this regard, he announced that he has initiated a direct dialogue with Moscow: "We will be part of the solution, and we want to be part of the discussions," he declared. He also called for a redesign of the European security architecture, proposing to unify and standardize the military industry and accelerate cooperation on joint defense initiatives, such as shared missile systems. "If we use [our money] for national solutions without a clear European perspective, we will be wasting our money and our time," he asserted.