 | |
| Abbreviation | MSC |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Internationale Wehrkundebegegnung / Münchner Wehrkundetagung |
| Formation | 1963 |
| Founder | Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin |
| Legal status | Non-profit foundation |
| Purpose | Peace through dialogue (diplomacy) |
| Location |
|
| Methods | Host conferences |
Chairman | Wolfgang Ischinger |
| Website | securityconference |
TheMunich Security Conference[a] (MSC), formerlyMunich Conference on Security Policy,[b][1] is an annualconference oninternational security policy that has been held inMunich, Germany, since 1963. It is the world's largest gathering of its kind.[2]
Over the past four decades the Munich Security Conference has become the most important independent forum for the exchange of views by international security policy decision-makers. Each year it brings together about 350 senior figures from more than 70 countries around the world to engage in an intensive debate on current and future security challenges. The list of attendees includesheads of states,governments andinternational organizations,ministers,members of parliament, high-ranking representatives ofarmed forces,science,civil society, as well asbusiness andmedia.
The conference is held annually in February. The venue is theHotel Bayerischer Hof inMunich,Bavaria, Germany.
The conference evolved from theInternationale Wehrkundebegegnung /Münchner Wehrkundetagung,[3] which was founded in 1963 byEwald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin.[4] The resistance fighter from theStauffenberg circle hoped to prevent military conflicts such as theSecond World War in the future and brought together leaders and experts in security policy for this reason. The first meeting was limited to about 60 participants; among them wereHelmut Schmidt andHenry Kissinger.[5] Von Kleist led the meetings until 1998; his successor who led them from 1998 until 2008 was politician and business manager Horst Teltschik (CDU).
Since 2008, the conference is headed by the former diplomatWolfgang Ischinger. Ischinger established the Munich Security Conference GmbH non-profit company in 2011, which he has led untilChristoph Heusgen took over the position in February 2022.[1][6][7] Vice Chairmen are Ambassador Rainer Rudolph, successor to AmbassadorBoris Ruge, and Dr. Benedikt Franke, who is also CEO.[8]
In October 2024, formerNATO Secretary GeneralJens Stoltenberg was named as the incoming chairman starting in 2025.[9][10][obsolete source][11]He shall assume the Chair of the MSC once his public duties in Norway have come to an end. Until then, following the MSC Foundation Charter, Wolfgang Ischinger will serve as Chairman.[12][13]
In 2018 the company was subsumed into the MSC Foundation, with an endowment from contributions by the German government and other big donors. Funding has increased from less than €1 million of public funding in 2008 to about €10 million of mostly corporate funding in 2022.[14]
The Munich Security Conference was canceled three times, in 1965 when it was scheduled from the end of the year to the beginning of the following year, in 1991 due to theFirst Gulf War and 1997 as a result of the retirement of von Kleist.[1] Under the leadership of Teltschik the Security Conference opened in 1999 for political, military and business leaders from Central and Eastern Europe as well as India, Japan, South Korea and the People's Republic of China, and by now includes leaders of the whole world.
At this conference, under the theme of peace through dialogue, senior politicians, diplomats, military and security experts from the member countries ofNATO and theEuropean Union, but also from other countries such asChina,India,Iran,Japan,South Korea andRussia are invited to discuss the current issues in security and defense policies.
The intention of the conference is to address the topical main security issues and to debate and analyze the main security challenges in the present and the future in line with the concept of networked security. A focal point of the conference is the discussion and the exchange of views on the development of thetransatlantic relations as well as European and global security in the 21st century.
The conference is organized privately and therefore not an official government event. It is used exclusively for discussion; an authorization for binding intergovernmental decisions does not exist. Furthermore, there is - contrary to usual conventions - no common final communiqué. The high-level meeting is also used to discrete background discussions between the participants. An exception is the presentation of global political decisions, such as the exchange of instruments ofratification for theNew START disarmament agreement between the United States and Russia, which was held at the conclusion of the security conference in 2011.
At the 39th conference in 2003,German Minister for Foreign AffairsJoschka Fischer doubted the reasoning of theU.S. government for awar against Iraq with the words "Excuse me, I am not convinced".[15]
See2007 Munich speech of Vladimir Putin.
From 6–8 February 2009, the 45th Munich Security Conference[16] was attended by over 50 ministers and more than a dozen heads of state and government from all over the world, includingFrench PresidentNicolas Sarkozy,German ChancellorAngela Merkel,Polish Prime MinisterDonald Tusk andAfghan PresidentHamid Karzai.US Vice PresidentJoe Biden was also in attendance.
In 2009 the MSC inaugurated the Ewald von Kleist Award.[17] The new award highlights the political life and work ofEwald von Kleist, who founded the Munich Security Conference. The award will be given to prominent individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to peace and conflict resolution. The winners of the Ewald von Kleist Award were in 2009 DrHenry Kissinger and in 2010Javier Solana de Madariaga. Also in 2009, the MSC initiated a new event format, called MSC Core Group Meeting.[18] This new and smaller-scale event was introduced in addition to the annual main, Munich-based meeting of the Munich Security Conference. The idea is to invite a number of distinguished and high-ranking participants to changing capitals and give them the opportunity to confidentially discuss current international security policy issues and develop sustainable solutions. Meetings took place 2009 inWashington D.C., 2010 inMoscow and 2011 inBeijing.
The 47th Munich Security Conference[19] was held from 4 to 6 February 2011 and again assembled top-level decision makers from all over the world, includingUN Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon,German ChancellorAngela Merkel,British Prime MinisterDavid CameronU.S. Secretary of StateHillary Clinton and Russian Foreign MinisterSergey Lavrov whilstBelarus was excluded from the circle of attendees because of the country's human rights situation.
In 2011, two special features marked the growing role of the Munich Security Conference as a centre of attention of international security policy:European Union's High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security PolicyCatherine Ashton called for the Quartet on theMiddle East, consisting of theEU, Russia, the United States and theUN, to meet within the setting of the 2011 Munich Security Conference; and during a ceremony on the sidelines of the conference, theNew START Treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) entered into force when Russia'sForeign MinisterSergey Lavrov andU.S. Secretary of StateHillary Clinton exchanged the instruments of ratification.
The 48th Munich Security Conference was held from 2 to 5 February 2012.
The 49th Munich Security Conference was held from 1 to 3 February 2013.[20] The conference focused on theEuropean debt crisis,transatlantic relations, the crisis regions ofMali and theMiddle East, as well asenergy security andcyber terrorism.[21]
The 50th Munich Security Conference was held from 31 January to 2 February 2014.[22] The conference focused onEuromaidan, new security risks, loss of importance for Europe, theNSA spying affair and political normalization in former Yugoslavia, as well as the Middle east, andIran's nuclear program.
The 51st Munich Security Conference was held from 6 to 8 February 2015. Among the more than 400 international participants[23] from nearly 80 countries were also 20 heads of state, 70 foreign and defense ministers[24] and 30 CEOs of large companies.[25] The conferences focused on theRusso-Ukrainian War, nuclear negotiations with Iran and thewar on terror as well as the global refugees crisis.
The 52nd Munich Security Conference took place from 12 to 14 February 2016. 600 international guests attended the event, including 30 heads of state, 70 foreign and defense ministers, directors of variousintelligence agencies and 700 journalists from 48 countries.[26]The conferences focused on the conflict between NATO and the Russian Federation, Syria and the fight againstISIS, the situation in the Middle East, the future of NATO, theNorth Korean nuclear program, intelligence services, the 2016 Ewald von Kleist Award, the situation in Africa as well as the ongoing refugee crisis.
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The 53rd Munich Security Conference (MSC 2017) took place from 17 to 19 February 2017 atHotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich. With a total of 680 participants,[27] including 30 heads of state and government, nearly 60 representatives of international organizations and 65 top business leaders,[28] it was the largest conference to date.[27] Prominent guests and speakers wereUN Secretary GeneralAntónio Guterres, U.S. Vice PresidentMike Pence,US Secretary of DefenseJames Mattis, Russian Foreign MinisterSergey Lavrov,Federica Mogherini,Donald Tusk and Chinese Foreign MinisterWang Yi. 700 journalists were also accredited for the event. In addition to the main events of the security conference, there were 1,350 bilateral meetings among MSC participants and delegations.[29] The conferences focused on the future of the EU, NATO and the West, China's foreign policy, global health risks, the fight against terrorism, the Middle East and Iran as well as the US foreign policy towards Russia.
The 54th Munich Security Conference (MSC 2018) took place from 16 to 18 February 2018 at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich.
The 55th Munich Security Conference (MSC 2019) took place from 15 to 17 February 2019 at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich. Among the 600[30] participants were heads of state and government from more than 35 countries, 50 foreign and 30 defence ministers, other representatives from the fields of politics, the military, the arms industry, business and science, as well as members of international intergovernmental and civil society organizations.[31]
The 56th Munich Security Conference (MSC 2020) took place from 14 to 16 February 2020 at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich. Among the more than 500[32] participants were heads of state and government from 35 countries. Joe Biden, later the 46th President of the United States, committed himself to a new tone from Washington on the political world stage and regarding multilateralism. He promised: "We will be back."
The 57th Munich Security Conference ("Munich Special Edition 2021") took place on 19 February in the form of a virtual online conference, without in-person attendance, due to the ongoingCOVID-19 pandemic. The event was addressed by British PMBoris Johnson, German ChancellorAngela Merkel, French PresidentEmmanuel Macron and US PresidentJoe Biden, who declared that "America is back".
The 58th MSC took place from 18 to 20 February 2022. The motto was "Turning the Tide – Unlearning Helplessness". It was attended by over 30 Heads of State, 100 ministers and the heads of many of the most important international organizations likeNATO, theEU and theUN. This conference was held on a smaller scale than usual due to theCOVID-19 pandemic[33] and was largely dominated by talks about theescalation in the Russo-Ukrainian war.[34][35]UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres notably said that the world was in a more precarious security situation than during theCold War. U.S. Vice PresidentKamala Harris also said that the US was ready to hit Moscow with tough sanctions in the event of an attack. Russia was not present at the conference,[36] while Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy warned Western nations that they should abandon their policy of appeasement toward Moscow,[37] and foreshadowed the Russian onslaught which was to occur only five days later: "To really help Ukraine, it is not necessary to constantly talk only about the dates of the probable invasion... Ukraine has been granted security assurances (with the 1994Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances) in exchange for giving up the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal. We don't have any firearms. And there's no security."[38]
The 59th MSC took place from 17 to 19 February 2023.[39] The overarching the motto "Re:Vision," which is also the title of the Munich Security Conference report that has been published in preparation for the conference.[40] On the one hand, the debates focused on the increased efforts of autocratic states to revise the international order. On the other hand, the conference called for new common visions for the international order and possible cooperation despite geopolitical challenges. Representatives from all over the world participated,[41] among them:Kamala Harris,Antony Blinken,Rishi Sunak,Emmanuel Macron,Olaf Scholz,Annalena Baerbock,Boris Pistorius,Ursula von der Leyen,Jens Stoltenberg,Wang Yi,Andrzej Duda,Francia Márquez,Kaja Kallas,Nana Akufo-Addo andVolodymyr Zelensky (virtually).
TheRussian invasion of Ukraine and its impact was at the center of most discussions in Munich. In addition, a wide range of security policy issues were discussed. A major concern of the new MSC chairman,Christoph Heusgen, was to include the so-calledGlobal South more into the conference in order to discuss and enable global visions. The first panel discussion on Saturday morning was dedicated to this topic.[42] Other cross-cutting issues were climate change, food insecurity and energy security, as well as regional and country-specific topics, including Iran, the Horn of Africa and Russia.
Notably, at the 2023 Munich Security Conference, billionaire investorGeorge Soros commented that the financial troubles of theAdani Group could weaken Prime MinisterNarendra Modi’s hold on India’s government, potentially paving the way for institutional reforms. This statement provoked a strong response from India’sBJP, which accused Soros of attempting to undermine India's democracy.[43]
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The 60th Munich Security Conference took place from 16 to 18 February 2024.[44][45][46] The motto “Lose-Lose?”,[47] title of the according Munich Security Report,[48] also referred as central theme to the conference: The need to reshape the global order for the benefit of all as an inclusive alternative to the growing “lose-lose” dynamics ofisolationism.[49] Judging by the debate in Munich, implementing reform proposals requires more political will.[50]
Almost 1,000 participants from 109 countries included 45 heads of state and government. At the 60 main events, more than half of the speakers were female and over a quarter represented countries of theGlobal South. Over 200 side events were hosted by public and private organizations.[51]
Israeli PresidentIsaac Herzog and Foreign MinisterIsrael Katz attended the Munich Conference in the midst of the ongoingGaza war.[52]
The 61st Munich Security Conference took place from 14 to 16 February 2025.[53] Based on theMunich Security Report 2025[54] published in advance, the conference's motto was "multipolarization" – summing up the current global changes and challenges. A series of U.S. statements at the conference sparked controversy and unrest among the attending European politicians.[55]
U.S. Vice PresidentJD Vance criticised the organisers of the Munich Security Conference for having "banned lawmakers representing populist parties on both the left and the right from participating in these conversations" in a speech at the conference, adding that "we don’t have to agree with everything or anything that people say. But when political leaders represent an important constituency, it is incumbent upon us to at least participate in dialogue with them".[56] His remarks that free speech in Europe was "in retreat" faced pushback from some European officials,[53] such as ChancellorOlaf Scholz, Opposition Leader and future ChancellorFriedrich Merz, Vice ChancellorRobert Habeck,[57][58] and Minister for ForeignAnnalena Baerbock,[59][60] collectively representing three political parties.Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann of the centre-rightFree Democratic Party called Vance's speech a "bizarre intellectual bottom".[57][61]
Key conclusions from the conference included the need for NATO’s European members to significantly increase theirdefense spending and take on the primary responsibility for military funding for Ukraine, rather than relying on the U.S. Additionally, the U.S. and Russia aim to negotiate a deal to end thewar in Ukraine.[55]
The 62nd Munich Security Conference is scheduled to take place from 13 to 15 February 2026.[62]
In addition to the main conference in February, the Munich Security Conference hosts a variety of events and networks.[63]
In addition to the main conference, a series of events, the MSC Munich Leaders Meetings (previously: Core Group Meetings),[64] were launched in November 2009 inWashington, DC.[65] The meetings provide a select group of participants the opportunity to discuss key issues of international security policy in order to continue the work of the Security Conference and provide impulses.[66] The location of the Core Group Meetings always varies.
A select group of 30-50 experts, leaders and thinkers who come together in a private setting to develop recommendations on the latest security challenges.[67]
Regular roundtable events take place with varying numbers of participants, both as part of international meetings and events and as independent events. Several roundtables can be organized in the form of a "summit" and individual "conversations" can also be held in virtual form. The thematic focus ranges from European defense policy to cyber security and human security issues.[68]
In 2021, the MSC Security Innovation Board was launched, bringing together a group of experts from the technology and defense policy sectors to promote exchange on innovation in the security policy field.[69]
A discussion format for the exchange of views on security policy between citizens and representatives from politics, academia, and society, supplemented by theZeitenwende podcast.[70]
Awards and support programs initiated by the MSC.[71]
Since 2009, the award has been given to individuals who made a special contribution to peace and conflict resolution. The laureates receive a medal with the inscription "Peace through Dialogue", as recentlyJohn McCain (2018),Alexis Tsipras andZoran Zaev (2019), theUnited Nations (2020),Angela Merkel (2021),Jens Stoltenberg (2022),Finland andSweden (2023), as well asMia Amor Mottley andJohn F. Kerry (2024).[72]
Beginning in 2019, and alongside the conferences, up to two political science dissertations are being honored that focus on transatlantic relations. The award is given in memory of John McCain together with the partners "Munich School of Public Policy", "Geschwister-Scholl-Institut", "University of the Federal Armed Forces", and the McCain Institute. Among other things, the award grants participation in MSC events and a prize money of up to 10,000 Euros.[73][[File:MYL Treffen New York 2019.jpg|thumb|Munich Young Leaders in New York City, 2019[[File:MSC 2020 Marietje Schaake.jpg|thumb|Munich Young LeaderMarietje Schaake speaks on a panel discussion at the56th Munich Security Conference.]]]]
Starting with the Munich Security Conference 2023, the Women Parliamentarians Program aims to establish a network to connect the new generation of female decision-makers from the German Bundestag and the European Parliament. A select group of cross-party elected officials engages in a variety of formats throughout the course of a year in order to generate new ideas in German foreign, security, and development policy.[74]
In 2009, the Munich Young Leaders was first launched in cooperation with theKörber Foundation. Held in parallel to the Security Conference, this annual roundtable series is designed to directly involve the next generation of decision-makers into the main conference proceedings.[1][75] The Roundtable agendas as well as the participants and speakers lists are published online.[76]
Often in collaboration with partner organizations, regular security policy publications report, comment and inform on current events, debates and developments:Munich Security Briefs andDebriefs,Munich Security Analyses,Munich Security Opinions as well as special editions and books.[77]
Key publications are the annualMunich Security Report (MSR), theMunich Security Index (MSI), and theSelected Key Speeches series.[78][79]
Some events and distinct formats have transformed, evolved and/or changed names and purposes in the course of time.
After the launch in 2009, the subsequent events took place inMoscow in 2010,[80]Beijing in 2011,[81] as well asDoha in 2013.[82] A second meeting was held for the first time in 2013 in Washington, DC. The location of the 2014 Core Group Meeting wasNew Delhi. The issues discussed in New Delhi were the threats of terrorism and cyber-attacks, questions of maritime security, regional and global security structures and concepts for newglobal governance. The Core Group Meeting 2015 was held inVienna.[83] TheRusso-Ukrainian war was a central theme of the meeting, which featured the Ukrainian Foreign MinisterPavlo Klimkin and the Russian deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov. Klimkin urged the European states to confront the Russian government head-on.[84] The Austrian Foreign MinisterSebastian Kurz stated that any border changes in Europe were "unacceptable", but at the same time stressed the need for cooperation with Russia. While the Swiss Foreign MinisterDidier Burkhalter proposed a neutral status for Ukraine,[85] the Serbian Foreign MinisterIvica Dačić asOSCE Chairman called for a strengthening of his organization in order to prevent future conflicts.[86]
Another Core Group Meeting took place inTehran in October 2015. Key topics of the meeting were the implementation of theVienna Agreement concerning theIranian nuclear program and the political situation in the region. German Foreign Minister Steinmeier, who opened the conference together with theIranian Foreign MinisterZarif,[87][88] emphasized the importance of transparency and trust for the successful implementation of the Vienna agreement:[89] "After the game is before the game".[88][90]
In April 2016, another MSC Core Group Meeting took place in theEthiopian capitalAddis Ababa. The security situation in Africa, the fight against international terrorism, and the challenges posed by climate change andepidemics were central themes of the meeting.[91] The Ethiopian Foreign MinisterTedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed the mutual global interdependencies in all of these issues.[92] Other participants included Ethiopian Prime MinisterHailemariam Desalegn, formerNigerian PresidentOlusegun Obasanjo,Smaїl Chergui,African Union Commissioner,[93] former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and former German PresidentHorst Köhler.[94]
Another Core Group Meeting was held inBeijing in November 2016.[95] Key topics of the meeting were China's role in the international order, conflicts in the Asia-Pacific region and the geopolitical importance of the "New Silk Road".[96] Deputy Chinese Foreign Minister,Zhang Yesui, stressed in his opening speech the importance of dialogue and cooperation for the security of the region.[97] During the core group meeting,Chinese Vice PresidentLi Yuanchao, reaffirmed his country's willingness to contribute to peace and security globally.[98] Other participants includedFu Ying, chairwoman of theNational People's Congress Foreign Affairs Committee,Louise Mushikiwabo,RwandanMinister of Foreign Affairs, Markus Ederer, secretary of state at theGerman Foreign Office,Tom Enders, CEO ofAirbus Group, and several members of theBundestag.[99]
In 2012, the first Cyber Security Summit was held in cooperation withDeutsche Telekom inBonn.[100][101] The first event was conducted underChatham House Rule. According to media reports, the supervisory board chairman of Deutsche Bank,Paul Achleitner, the head of the construction groupBilfinger Berger,Roland Koch, as well as Peter Terium, the CEO of the energy supplierRWE andJohannes Teyssen ofE.ON were in attendance.[102]
During the summit several working groups analyzed existing cyber risks and dangers for energy, finances, health, logistics, media, and production.
On 11 November 2013 the second summit took place in Bonn. The gathering had the following four topics:[103]
Unlike in 2012, the list of speakers was published:
The third summit was held on 3 November 2014.[104] It was attended by 180 representatives from the fields of politics, economy, EU and NATO.[105] In his opening speech, Telekom CEO Höttges highlighted the growing number of attacks on data and digital infrastructures, where the Telekom network recorded 1 Million attacks daily. He quoted aCSIS study that estimated the global damage caused by cybercrime to be US$575 billion per year. To protect European data against access by US authorities, Höttges called for a revision of theSafe Harbor Agreement. The intelligence coordinator of the federal government,Klaus-Dieter Fritsche, supported Höttges demands.[106]
MSC Chairman Ischinger described the great geopolitical importance of cyber security as a result of theRusso-Ukrainian war, which had marked the return of war as political means in Europe.[107] State SecretaryBrigitte Zypries stated the planned IT Security Act in which the reporting of cyber attacks on companies from sensitive sectors was an obligation as the contribution by the German Federal Government to increase data security.[106]Andy Mueller-Maguhn, a former spokesman for theChaos Computer Club, stressed the importance of strong encryption for data security and warned of the "back doors", like those thatRSA Security installed for theNSA.[107]Elmar Brok, Chairman of theEuropean Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, andKarl-Theodor zu Guttenberg urged to ward off cyber attacks with offensive actions and stressed the need for a deterrence component.[108][109]Ben Wizner, representative of theAmerican Civil Liberties Union and lawyer ofEdward Snowden,[107] contradicted against those needs.[110] In separate working groups, the topics of Digital Defense, Cyber governance, Promotion of Innovation in regards to data security and preventive data protection were also discussed.
The fourth Cyber Security Summit was held on 19 and 20 September 2016Palo Alto,Silicon Valley.[111] The summit was jointly convened by MSC,Deutsche Telekom andStanford University. 140 representatives from the fields of politics, security and business participated in the gathering.[112] A central theme of the meeting was the2016 U.S. presidential election and its possible manipulation by cyber attacks.[113] The chairman of the Munich Security Conference, Wolfgang Ischinger, expressed his fear that such attacks could damage confidence in democratic elections in general.[112]
Further topics were the defense againstcyberterrorism, the future ofwarfare, the economic relevance ofcybersecurity and the development of norms and rules for the Internet.[114] MSC chairmanIschinger called for closer coordination between the worlds of politics and technology,[113] in order to create the basis for an open, free and secure web.[115]
In connection with theInternet of Things, Marc Goodman from the AmericanThink TankSingularity University warned that "everything could be hacked". Goodman predicted the Internet would feature an "epic battle" of different interest groups.[116]Peter R. Neumann fromKing's College London described the hierarchical structure of lawenforcement agencies as an organizational problem incombating cyber-crime, at odds with the de-centralized operating mode of the Internet.[112]
Other participants included Dmitri Alperovitch, co-founder and CTO of CrowdStrike,Michael Chertoff, formerUnited States Department of Homeland Security, chairman and founder of the Chertoff Group,Michael McFaul, director of theFreeman Spogli Institute atStanford University and former US Ambassador in Russia, and Iddo Moed, Coordinator of Cybersecurity for theIsraeli Foreign Ministry,[117] Christopher Painter, Coordinator for Cyber Issues at theUS State Department,[118] Latha Reddy, formerNational Security Adviser of India and currently a member of theGlobal Commission on Internet Governance,[117] as well as,Uri Rosenthal, formerDutch foreign minister and current Special Envoy of his country for cyber politics.[118]
Together with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the MSC has been organizing the Energy Security Summit since 2013.[119] The first meeting was held on 10 July 2013 in the ballroom of theFrankfurtPalmengarten under the auspices ofFederal Economics and Technology MinisterPhilipp Rösler andEnvironment MinisterPeter Altmaier. Other topics of the event wereclimate change, the geostrategic consequences offracking and the GermanEnergy transition.[120]
The second Energy Security Summit was held inBerlin on 27 and 28 May 2014. Key topics of the meeting included the "shale gas revolution" in the United States[121] and thewar in Ukraine. In his speech, Foreign Minister Steinmeier stressed the important role ofenergy policy forforeign andsecurity policy.[122] Steinmeier pushed for a European Energy Union and urged the EU countries to demonstrate unity with regard to the Russo-Ukrainian war. The minister stressed the need to make compromises in the Russia-Ukraine gas dispute,[123] and warned against too high expectations of substituting American shale gas for Russian gas supplies.EU Energy CommissionerGünther Oettinger also spoke in favor of a European Energy Union with uniform gas prices. He also described Germany's energy policy as being in a "Romantic Valley”. The strategic issue of energy would require Germany to get involved with its technological and political competence, Oettinger stated.[124] During the meeting, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yatsenyuk described the war in Ukraine as a "global security conflict" which only Russia would be responsible for. Yatsenyuk reiterated his country's refusal to pay a "political price" in exchange for gas supplies from Russia. The premier also expressed the willingness of his country to participate in a common energy policy with the EU.[125]
The third Energy Security Summit was held on 5 and 6 May 2015, again in Berlin.[citation needed] During the meeting, Iranian Oil MinisterBijan Namdar Zangeneh laid out his country's plans for the development of the energy sector after the end of sanctions. After the previously reached deal to resolve the Iranian nuclear crisis, the Minister demanded the rapid lifting of the economic sanctions. He dashed hopes that Tehran would build a gas pipeline to Europe to weaken the dominant role of Russia in the European gas market, citing transit problems and costs.[126] At the same time, the Minister announced that his government would invest US$180 billion in the Iranian oil and gas industry by 2022.[citation needed] Other topics at the meeting included, among others, the proposed Energy Union in Europe, which bothMaroš Šefčovič,[127] Vice-President of theEuropean Commission, and Rainer Baake, Parliamentary State Secretary in theFederal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, called for, as well as the German energy transition.[citation needed]Bärbel Höhn, chairman of the German Bundestag's Environment Committee, referred to it as an important contribution by Germany to the creation of a global structure of a decentralized energy supply, which reduces dependencies and contributes to security and peace.[128] Criticism came from Greenpeace head Kumi Naidoo, who stated that the high share ofbrown coal used for electricity generation was the “Achilles heel” of Germany's energy policy.[129] Michael Fuchs, Deputy Chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, criticized the high burden placed on German citizens due to subsidies of 480 billion Euro earmarked for the energy transition.
Speculations about one of the sponsors, the U.S. consultancyMcKinsey, as secretly organizing the conference on behalf of the foundation and, according toPolitico,[130] wielding great influence on the conference's agenda, guests and events, were denied by McKinsey.[131]
Merz sagte weiter: 'Es sei nicht denkbar, dass die deutsche Bundesregierung bestimmte Medien von Pressekonferenzen ausschließen würde.' Die US-Regierung lässt die Nachrichtenagentur AP nicht mehr zu Konferenzen im Oval Office zu. (transl. Merz went on to say: 'It is inconceivable that the German federal government would exclude certain media from press conferences.' The US government no longer allows the AP news agency to conference in the Oval Office.)
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