At the Munich Security Conference, Germany and the EU should put multilateralism centre stage:

As this year’s Munich Security Conference takes off, pressing defence issues are likely to crowd out debates on multilateral institutions. But for Germany and the EU, sustaining the rules-based order is a core strategic interest, as I discussed with Katharina Horban for the Security.Table of Table.Briefings. My three key takeaways from our conversation:

1. Rules-based order under deconstruction by Trump: Trump 2.0 poses an unprecedented challenge to international law. Under his presidency, the US violated norms on immunity and the use of force, obstructed the ICC and the WTO's free trade rules, disengaged from almost 80 institutions and UN bodies, including the WHO, the Paris Agreement, and UN Peacekeeping, and defunded multilateral cooperation and development. 

2. Institutions will fail without decisive support by the rest of the West: The US retreat from rules-based order also invites disengagement by others amid surging geopolitical rivalries, fueling its decline. The rules-based order cannot sustain itself. It requires political leadership and initiatives to adapt challenged institutions to Trumpism and great power politics. 

3. The MSC as an opportunity for middle power leadership: Germany and the EU should seize the opportunity to engage with like-minded states and IO leaders at MSC2026. They should reaffirm and coordinate their support for international norms and institutions. Strengthening the resilience of the rules-based order is a strategic investment in global stability and Europe's welfare and influence!