Germany will make the Bundeswehr, Europe's most powerful conventional army, as soon as possible, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared during his speech at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, February 13.
But Merz, in his intervention, shocked Europe and reaffirmed loyalty to Western values: "The old world order no longer exists and has been replaced by a much more uncertain landscape, shaped by great power rivalry and a new focus on national interests. There is a rift between the US and Europe. NATO is no longer safe and freedom is at risk in the age of great powers."
To show that this distance has widened, Merz addressed a key point: " Vice President Vance said it very openly a year ago here in Munich. He was right. The culture war of the Maga movement is not ours. Freedom of speech ends with us when it is directed against human dignity and the Constitution. We do not believe in tariffs and protectionism, but in free trade. We remain loyal to the climate agreements and to the WHO, because we are convinced that only together can we solve global challenges."
According to the chancellor, the 'clearest expression' of this new reality has been Russia's war against Ukraine. Merz also criticized China, stating that the world's second-largest economy " systematically exploits the dependencies of others."
“It is reinterpreting the international order to suit its own purposes,” he said, referring to Beijing’s strategy. “ If there was a unipolar moment after the fall of the Berlin Wall, it is long gone. The United States’ claim to leadership is in question, perhaps even lost.”