Live from MSC 2026: Transatlantic turning point
Mark Leonard welcomes Jeremy Cliffe, Ulrike Franke, Janka Oertel and Majda Ruge live from the Munich Security Conference to unpack its biggest moments
In this special episode of the World in 30 Minutes, Mark Leonard welcomes Editorial Director and Senior Policy Fellow Jeremy Cliffe, Senior Policy Fellow, Ulrike Franke, Distinguished Policy Fellow, Janka Oertel and Senior Policy Fellow, Majda Ruge live from the Munich Security Conference to unpack its biggest moments.
Recording from the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich, they reflect on Marco Rubio’s message to Europe, European leaders’ calls for greater autonomy, Zelensky’s intervention on Ukraine, and the shifting tone on China, NATO and tech regulation. Is the transatlantic relationship entering a new phase? Did Europe show unity or fragmentation? And what does the mood in Munich reveal about the future of security in 2026?
Bookshelf
Letzte Chance: Der neue Kanzler und der Kampf um die Demokratie (German) by Robin Alexander
Far Right France, Le Pen, Bardella and the Future of Europe by Victor Ballot
Mind the Deterrence Gap: Assessing Europe’s Nuclear Options by European Nuclear Study Group of the Munich Security Conference
Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace by Hans J. Morgenthau and Kenneth W. Thompson
This podcast was recorded live at the Munich Security Conference 2026.
Supported (in part) by a grant from the Open Society Foundations.
