Listen: At the Munich Security Conference, European leaders signaled a quiet but unmistakable message: they are ready to move forward, even as Washington’s role grows uncertain. Former US Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder explains why this moment represents a permanent rebalancing of responsibilities, after a long-standing reliance on the US for defense. “No, it’s not going to be…

Europe is facing a moment of reckoning. Ian Bremmer reports from Germany on how the US, under President Trump ’s second term, has shifted from guarantor of the postwar order to a disruptive force, leaving allies questioning who will defend democracy and global stability.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz put it bluntly: “The United States' claim to leadership has been challenged and…

The first out transgender member of the U.S. Congress took the world stage in Germany last week, warning that attacks on people like her and on LGBTQ+ rights more broadly are being weaponized in the current political climate, as she joined former first lady and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on a high-profile panel at the Munich Security Conference.

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Does skepticism rule the day in politics? Public opinion data collected as part of the Munich Security Conference’s annual report found that large shares of respondents in G7 and several BRICS countries believed their governments’ policies would leave future generations worse off. That sentiment was especially pronounced among citizens in France, the United Kingdom, and Germany where…

At the 2026 Munich Security Conference, entrepreneur and Project Liberty founder Frank McCourt makes the case that the internet, and the AI systems rapidly reshaping it, must be redesigned to serve people, not platforms.

McCourt argues that today’s tech ecosystem is built on centralized, surveillance-driven incentives that clash with democratic values. As the world shifts from an app-based…

For decades, the Munich Security Conference has functioned as the annual “ _family reunion_” of the transatlantic alliance – a place where American and European leaders and diplomats come together to discuss international security. Since 1963, it’s revolved around a core assumption: the relationship between the United States and Europe is durable within a US-led global order, even when…

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hit back strongly at the Czech Republic’s deputy prime minister, Petr Macinka, Saturday at the Munich Security Conference when he said the U.S. had gone too far with the “woke revolution” and the “gender revolution.”

The exchange came in a discussion of Ukraine’s war with Russia during a panel at the conference. Donald Trump is trying “to force…

China was largely absent from the core conversations at the 2026 Munich Security Conference. That, says Ian Bremmer , is telling.

In this Global Stage clip, Bremmer warns that in the AI space between the US and China, there is “literally zero trust.” No governance framework. No coordination. Only escalation and acceleration.

While tech companies are stepping in to promote the rule…

At the 62nd Munich Security Conference, Parag Khanna , founder and CEO of AlphaGeo, says globalization isn't dead, it's evolving.

Speaking with GZERO’s Tony Maciulis , he explains that countries are forming flexible alliances that expand and shrink based on their interests. “You’d rather be in the tent...if it suits your interest than not in it,” Khanna notes, highlighting how the US,…

Sovereignty has become one of the most powerful, and least defined, words in tech policy.

At the 2026 Munich Security Conference, SAP global head of government affairs, Wolfgang Dierker , explains why governments and enterprise customers are demanding more control over their data, cloud infrastructure, and AI systems amid rising geopolitical uncertainty.

Customers still need cloud…

On the sidelines of the 2026 Munich Security Conference, Annemarie Hou , Executive Director of the United Nations Office of Partnerships, joined Tony Maciulis to discuss the power of women leaders in global decision-making.

Hou highlighted the UN’s Women Rise for All initiative, explaining that during the COVID pandemic, women “came to the front lines of leading in really different and…

Security today isn’t just about tanks and treaties. It’s about algorithms, undersea cables, digital sovereignty, and whether democracies can adapt fast enough in a world that feels increasingly disorderly.

In a new Global Stage livestream from the 2026 Munich Security Conference, New York Times White House and national security correspondent David Sanger moderates a conversation with…

Hybrid warfare isn’t coming. It’s here.

At the 2026 Munich Security Conference, NATO Parliamentary Secretary General Benedetta Berti explains why hybrid threats, from undersea cable sabotage to disinformation, energy coercion, and cyberattacks, are no longer isolated incidents but a defining feature of today’s security environment.

“This is a feature, not a bug,” she says during GZERO's…

In this Quick Take from Munich,Ian Bremmer examines the state of the transatlantic alliance as the 62nd Munich Security Conference concludes. He points to Secretary of State Marco Rubio ’s speech, which “received a standing ovation,” but cautions that European expectations remain low.

Ian focuses on the Ukraine war, noting the pressure on Kyiv and the risk of a US-Russia deal:…

Sixteen companies. Eleven countries. One message: digital trust can’t wait.

At the 2026 Munich Security Conference, Brad Smith announces the launch of the Trusted Tech Alliance, a coalition of global technology leaders, including Microsoft, committing to secure cross-border tech flows, ethical governance, and stronger data protections.

As Smith puts it, AI is global. The response…

Tune in today at 12pm ET/6pm CET for the live premiere of our Global Stage from the 2026 Munich Security Conference, where our panel of experts takes aim at the latest global security challenges. NY Times National Security Correspondent David Sanger moderates the discussion with Benedetta Berti , Secretary General, NATO Parliamentary Assembly; Ian Bremmer , President &…

At the 62nd Munich Security Conference, GZERO’s Tony Maciulis spoke with Benedikt Franke , Vice Chairman and CEO of the Munich Security Conference, to discuss whether the post-1945 global order is under strain or already unraveling.

Reflecting on last year’s headline-making speech by Vice President JD Vance , Franke said it “freaked Europeans into cohesion,” accelerating calls for…

At the Munich Security Conference, the mood is clear: Europe no longer assumes the United States will lead.

Ian Bremmer reports from Munich, where this year’s theme, “Under Destruction,” reflects growing anxiety that the US itself is destabilizing the transatlantic alliance it once anchored.

While European leaders talk openly about autonomy and de-risking from America economically…

National defense is no longer a question of just geographic borders or physical artillery. In a world of VPNs, advanced AI, and sophisticated cybercrime, governments must protect themselves against the ever-evolving threat of digital sabotage. Online criminal groups can imperil domestic institutions like businesses or bureaus, but nation-states also engage in cyber-warfare against their…