Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered a keynote speech at the start of the Munich Security Conference in which he emphasised that Europe must preserve its own values, actively protect its freedom and build on its strengths. "We must flip the switch in our minds," he said, outlining a sovereign Europe that breaks free from its excessive dependence on the US. Europe's media examine Merz's vision and point to potential flaws.
After his appearance at the Munich Security Conference, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio paid visits to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Orbán spoke of a "golden age" in Hungarian-American relations, and Rubio assured him of the US government's support in the upcoming election, saying: "Your success is also our success."
Russian telecommunications authority Roskomnadzor has throttled data streams and further tightened restrictions on the country's most popular messaging service Telegram, causing major disruptions. Russian soldiers have protested the crackdown as they also use the service for coordinating military actions on the front lines. What is behind the move?
Several European countries which had been declared "measles-free" by the World Health Organisation (WHO), including Spain, the UK and Austria, have recently lost that status following major outbreaks in the last year. According to the WHO and UNICEF, a vaccination rate of 95 percent is needed to prevent the virus from spreading. Commentators in several countries look at vaccination rates and scepticism.
This year's Munich Security Conference was dominated by the tense transatlantic relations. To what extent can Europe count on the US as a Nato partner in the Trump era? Is the US still an ally, or is it now an adversary? Can the continent guarantee its own security? In the search for answers, all eyes were on US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The US government has revoked the Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding issued by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2009. The ruling formed the basis for almost all climate protection regulations since then, but now cars with higher emissions can be manufactured once more. Trump has called his decision the 'largest deregulatory action' in US history.
An activist from the far-right Identitarian Movement was apparently beaten to death in Lyon on Thursday on the sidelines of an event at which left-wing MEP Rima Hassan was appearing. Quentin D. (23) was beaten up under unclear circumstances and died of his injuries on Saturday. French President Macron has called for calm, restraint and respect.
The 62nd Munich Security Conference is taking place against a backdrop of growing uncertainty. The Munich Security Report 2026 distributed to participants bears the cautionary title "Under Destruction". Europe's press recalls historical moments in past conferences, analyses the present situation and calls for bold visions for the future.
A controversy over a helmet decorated with pictures of twenty athletes killed in the war in Ukraine is raging: Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych wanted to commemorate his colleagues with this gesture, and has now been disqualified from the Winter Olympics for violating its Charter. European commentators question whether this was a wise decision by the IOC.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signed several agreements at a long-postponed meeting in Ankara on Wednesday, despite tensions over territorial issues in the Aegean Sea and the unresolved Cyprus question. The relationship remains highly sensitive, media in both countries stress.
Hungarians will elect a new parliament on 12 April. The Tisza Party led by Péter Magyar has emerged as Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party's main rival and is leading most of the pre-election polls. Commentators discuss whether Fidesz could actually be voted out after sixteen years in power, and what is at stake here.