February 20, 2023
Of Strategy and Schnitzel: Munich Security Conference 2023
This piece was originally published by War on the Rocks.
My first Munich Security Conference, back in 2005, was a wonky gathering of transatlantic security policymakers. All the proceedings took place in the Bayerische Hof ballroom, and a cloud hung over the largely European (and theoretically nonsmoking) audience. Delegates’ eyes lit with excitement as they debated NATO’s strategic concept, evaluated the war in Iraq, and urged each other (but not their own governments) to boost defense spending. Beer flowed liberally — brats were consumed en masse.
The West is, they all said, in this for the long haul, and will support Ukraine for as long as it takes.
Nein more. The beer and brats remain, but the conference has grown bigger, global in scope and participation, glitzier and replete with media and roving security details. Getting a seat for the most popular speakers means showing up well before a session begins. Side events compete with off-the-books gatherings, dinners, and (I’m not making this up) a foosball tournament. The net effect is more Zirkus than Konferenz.
Read the full article from War on the Rocks.
More from CNAS
-
The Return of Diplomacy to Great Power Competition
On the surface, great power competition often seems driven by economic and military conflict, but diplomacy has always been central to great powers' engagement with the world....
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Jim Townsend
-
What’s Driving President Trump’s New Confidence in Ukraine’s War Effort
President Trump dramatically declared on social media that he now believes that Ukraine can reclaim all its land from Russia, which he described as a paper tiger. From the Ova...
By Richard Fontaine
-
Moldova Chooses Its Future with William Hill and Laura Thornton
On September 28th, Moldovan voters went to the polls in parliamentary elections to choose between competing visions for their country's future. Despite intense efforts by the ...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Jim Townsend
-
Europe Must Counter Cheap Drones with Cheap Solutions, Ex-NATO Commander Says
NATO must find cheaper ways to counter the growing threat of Russian drone incursions, the former Supreme Allied Commander for Europe, Gen. Philip Breedlove, has said. Speakin...
By General Philip M. Breedlove