Demonstrators in front of the Munich Security Conference.Image: keystone
Feb 9, 2026, 10:11 amFeb 9, 2026, 10:11 am
Ahead of the Munich Security Conference (MSC), experts are warning of growing support for a widespread “wrecking ball policy”. “In many Western societies, political forces that favor destruction over reform are gaining momentum,” states the MSC security report published before the international meeting.
«The world has entered a phase of wrecking ball politics. “Comprehensive destruction – more than cautious reforms and policy corrections – are now the order of the day,” says the report, which identifies the most prominent representatives of the new policy in the new US administration under President Donald Trump.
Governments must now “deliver”
Dissatisfaction with the economic situation and the perceived inability to reform are fueling doubts about democratic institutions. “Decision makers are widely seen as guardians of the status quo, administrators of a paralyzed political system that is unresponsive to the majority of the population,” it says.
The Security Conference is publishing its own international survey on whether current government policy is leading to improvements for future generations. In China, 80 percent of those surveyed expect this, and in India at least 61 percent. In the US, only 31 percent think so. But there is even less hope in Europe, where 22 percent in Italy, 20 percent in Great Britain, 13 percent in Germany and only 12 percent in France expect improvement.
Is the transatlantic alliance still resilient?
At the same time, uncertainty is growing in Europe in view of the dwindling US support for Ukraine and the Russian advance on parts of the front, the report says. “Rarely in the history of the conference have so many fundamental questions been on the table at the same time: about Europe’s security, the resilience of the transatlantic partnership and the international community’s ability to act in a complex and contested world,” writes MSC chairman Wolfgang Ischinger in the foreword.
Poor approval ratings for Trump’s policies worldwide
And they are certainly impressive numbers: even in the USA, according to the survey, the majority view President Donald Trump’s policies as neither good for their own country (39 percent) nor for the entire world (37 percent). What’s more: Almost half of Americans (49 percent) think Trump’s work is bad for the USA and the world (50 percent).
Incidentally, Trump’s policies are met with the greatest skepticism among Canadians, Germans and French. 77 percent of Canadians fear disadvantages for their own country, 71 percent for the world; among Germans the figures are only slightly lower at 72 and 69 percent respectively. Strikingly, outside of the USA, Trump’s policies receive the best approval ratings in Brazil, India and China – all three countries are suffering massively from trade tariffs.
The biggest worries and fears of Germans
Every year, the “Munich Security Report” lists the biggest concerns and fears of selected nations. For Germany, the survey puts the threat of cyber attacks in first place, followed by concerns about increasing inequality in the country. The danger of radical Islamist terrorism and Russia are also mentioned very often, as is fear of organized crime and mass immigration as a result of wars and climate change. Incidentally, concerns about the general consequences of climate change have lost importance compared to previous years and are now only in the middle range.
Is the USA still a reliable NATO member?
According to the report, two thirds of Germans consider the USA under Trump to be a less reliable NATO member than in previous years. The values are from November 2025 – i.e. before the Greenland debate at the turn of the year. 22 percent said U.S. reliability had not changed, while 8 percent said it had improved under Trump. Skepticism also predominates in other countries: “In fact, around half to two thirds of respondents in selected European countries and Canada say that the USA has become a less reliable NATO member,” the report says.
The Munich Security Conference will take place from February 13th to 15th. According to the conference management, 65 heads of state and government had confirmed their participation a week before the start. In addition, more than 90 foreign and defense ministers were on the guest list for the conference, which, like every year, takes place at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is likely to be one of the most prominent guests. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj is also scheduled to come to Munich. For the first time, Friedrich Merz (CDU) will take part in the conference as Chancellor and present his government’s security policy. (sda/dpa)
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