{"id":19350,"date":"2026-02-13T22:02:59","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T22:02:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/rules-based-order-merz\/"},"modified":"2026-02-13T22:02:59","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T22:02:59","slug":"rules-based-order-merz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/rules-based-order-merz\/","title":{"rendered":"World&#8217;s rules-based order &#8216;no longer exists&#8217;, Germany&#8217;s Merz warns &#8211; BBC"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<h2>Lead<\/h2>\n<p>Opening the Munich Security Conference, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that the post\u2011war rules\u2011based international order &#8220;no longer exists,&#8221; urging Europeans to prepare for sacrifice and to repair transatlantic trust. He spoke as around 50 world leaders gather to discuss European defence, the Russia\u2011Ukraine war and rising tensions with China and Iran. Merz also acknowledged a &#8220;deep divide&#8221; between Europe and the United States while confirming confidential talks with France on a potential joint European nuclear deterrent. The remarks come amid controversy over US President Donald Trump\u2019s comments about Greenland and questions over Washington\u2019s Nato commitments.<\/p>\n<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Friedrich Merz told the Munich Security Conference that &#8220;this order &#8230; no longer exists,&#8221; signaling a blunt reassessment of the post\u20111945 rules\u2011based system.<\/li>\n<li>About 50 heads of state and government are attending the annual Munich Security Conference to focus on defence, transatlantic ties and the war in Ukraine.<\/li>\n<li>Merz said a &#8220;deep divide&#8221; has opened between Europe and the United States, citing cultural and policy differences that have widened in the past year.<\/li>\n<li>He confirmed &#8220;confidential talks&#8221; with French President Emmanuel Macron on a joint European nuclear deterrent; France and the UK remain Europe\u2019s only nuclear powers.<\/li>\n<li>US actions cited at the conference include President Trump\u2019s public comments on acquiring Greenland and tariffs on European imports, which many European leaders view as eroding trust.<\/li>\n<li>Macron urged Europe to &#8220;learn to become a geopolitical power,&#8221; calling for faster rearmament following Russia\u2019s full\u2011scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.<\/li>\n<li>US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the moment a &#8220;new era in geopolitics,&#8221; underscoring Washington\u2019s own shift in rhetoric on global competition.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Background<\/h2>\n<p>The Munich Security Conference is an annual diplomatic forum where heads of state, defence ministers and security experts meet to debate global threats and cooperative responses. This edition convenes against a backdrop of intensified great\u2011power rivalry, a prolonged war in Ukraine since Russia\u2019s full\u2011scale invasion in 2022, and sharper competition between the West and China. Longstanding elements of the post\u2011Cold War order \u2014 free trade, collective security arrangements, and shared democratic norms \u2014 have come under strain as unilateral economic and territorial tactics reappear.<\/p>\n<p>Transatlantic relations have been tested by a series of US policy moves that European leaders see as unpredictable. Recent episodes cited at the conference include tariff threats and a highly publicised US interest in Greenland; such actions have fed a perception in some European capitals that US commitments to Nato and multilateralism are less stable. European defence spending and capabilities have been rising since 2022, but many leaders argue coordination and political will must accelerate to reduce strategic gaps.<\/p>\n<h2>Main Event<\/h2>\n<p>Merz opened the conference by telling peers that freedom is not guaranteed in an era of intensified big\u2011power politics and that Europeans must be ready to make sacrifice. He framed his address around a diagnosis that the rules\u2011based order, even at its imperfect best, no longer exists &#8220;in that form,&#8221; urging a sober reassessment rather than nostalgia. He explicitly referenced a widening rift with the United States and contrasted European approaches to speech, trade and constitutional limits with the populist currents he associated with the MAGA movement.<\/p>\n<p>On nuclear issues, Merz said he and President Macron were holding &#8220;confidential talks&#8221; about building a joint European deterrent, without providing technical details or timelines. The proposal, if pursued, would touch on deep questions about sovereignty, NATO burden\u2011sharing, and the role of the US nuclear umbrella that many European states have relied upon for decades. France and the UK currently possess nuclear arsenals; Germany and most other European NATO members do not.<\/p>\n<p>French President Emmanuel Macron used his remarks later on Friday to press for Europe to become a &#8220;geopolitical power,&#8221; calling for faster rearmament and collective action to confront threats. He described the war in Ukraine as an &#8220;existential challenge&#8221; for Europe and urged refusal to yield to Russian demands while increasing pressure on Moscow to secure a just peace. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she planned to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss the Greenland episode and allied cohesion.<\/p>\n<h2>Analysis &#038; Implications<\/h2>\n<p>Merz\u2019s statement that the rules\u2011based order &#8220;no longer exists&#8221; is as much a political diagnosis as it is a policy argument: it signals frustration with unilateralism and an appeal for greater European agency. If European leaders accept that premise, policy implications range from accelerated defence integration to discussions about independent deterrence and new industrial strategies for critical technologies. Those choices would require difficult budgetary and political trade\u2011offs across EU and NATO members.<\/p>\n<p>A public rupture with the United States would be costly for Europe because US military capacity, intelligence sharing and nuclear deterrence remain central to European security architectures. Merz\u2019s call to &#8220;repair and revive transatlantic trust&#8221; reflects an unwillingness to abandon the alliance even while acknowledging deep disagreements. Restoring trust would likely demand clearer US commitments to NATO, predictable trade policy and sustained diplomatic engagement from Washington.<\/p>\n<p>Talks of a European nuclear deterrent \u2014 even at an exploratory level \u2014 would reconfigure strategic thinking in Europe and beyond. Creating a credible, independent deterrent involves legal, technical, and political hurdles: procurement, command and control arrangements, and Nato interoperability, all while navigating treaty obligations and domestic political constraints. Any move in that direction would provoke sustained debate in capitals from Berlin to London and could complicate relations with the United States and Russia.<\/p>\n<h2>Comparison &#038; Data<\/h2>\n<figure>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Category<\/th>\n<th>Europe (Example)<\/th>\n<th>US\/Nato<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Nuclear-armed states (Europe)<\/td>\n<td>France, UK (2 states)<\/td>\n<td>US (single global)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>War since<\/td>\n<td>Ukraine \u2014 2022 (full\u2011scale invasion)<\/td>\n<td>N\/A<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Leaders at MSC<\/td>\n<td>~50 heads of state\/government<\/td>\n<td>Senior US officials attending<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The table highlights why European leaders stress both capability gaps and the unique role the US plays: only two European states retain nuclear arsenals, while the US provides global reach and extended deterrence. Since 2022, higher defence spending across Europe has aimed to reduce shortfalls, but experts note procurement cycles and political consensus take years to translate into capability. The Munich gathering crystallises these contrasts and the strategic choices now on the table.<\/p>\n<h2>Reactions &#038; Quotes<\/h2>\n<p>Merz\u2019s address drew immediate responses from political leaders and commentators, reflecting both alarm and calls for pragmatic cooperation. Below are representative official and expert lines delivered at the conference.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Our freedom is not guaranteed.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Friedrich Merz, German Chancellor (speech)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Merz used this line to press the point that European security can no longer be assumed and that democratic norms require active defence and political will. He followed by urging Europeans to accept difficult decisions on defence and alliance cohesion.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;We have to accelerate&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Emmanuel Macron, President of France (address)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Macron framed that acceleration in terms of rearmament and coordinated European planning, tying it directly to the perceived existential threat from Russia and the need for a stronger continental posture.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Greenland&#8217;s gonna want us&#8230; We&#8217;re negotiating right now for Greenland.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Donald Trump, US President (remarks)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Trump\u2019s public remarks about Greenland were widely cited at the conference as symptomatic of unpredictable allied behaviour, reinforcing European concerns about Washington\u2019s approach to bilateral and multilateral ties.<\/p>\n<h2>\n<aside>\n<details>\n<summary>Explainer: Rules\u2011based order &#038; extended deterrence<\/summary>\n<p>The &#8220;rules\u2011based order&#8221; refers to post\u20111945 norms and institutions \u2014 such as the UN framework, free trade rules and alliance commitments \u2014 that underpin predictable international interaction. &#8220;Extended deterrence&#8221; is the principle by which a nuclear power guarantees protection to allies, reducing their need to develop independent nuclear forces. Shifts away from multilateral norms or ambiguous security commitments can compel allies to reassess burden\u2011sharing, capabilities and strategic autonomy. Building independent deterrence requires political consensus, technical infrastructure and potentially new command arrangements, all of which are complex and time\u2011consuming to develop.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/aside>\n<\/h2>\n<h2>Unconfirmed<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Details and scope of the &#8220;confidential talks&#8221; between Germany and France on a European nuclear deterrent have not been disclosed and remain unconfirmed.<\/li>\n<li>Reports that the US has formal plans to annex Greenland beyond public statements remain unverified and have not been substantiated by official policy documents.<\/li>\n<li>Claims that Nato commitments have been formally downgraded are not corroborated by treaty changes; perceived erosion of assurance is based on rhetoric and policy signals rather than an altered legal framework.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Bottom Line<\/h2>\n<p>Merz\u2019s blunt assessment that the rules\u2011based order &#8220;no longer exists&#8221; is intended less as a fatalistic verdict than as a call to action: European leaders must confront strategic reality and choose how much autonomy and collective investment they will accept. The Munich conference has amplified debates over whether Europe should accelerate defence integration, accept a more prominent role for its nuclear states, or seek firmer guarantees from Washington.<\/p>\n<p>The immediate path forward will depend on political will in EU capitals and a reciprocal offer of predictability from the United States. If transatlantic trust can be repaired, cooperation on Ukraine, China and arms control is feasible; if not, Europe may pursue deeper strategic autonomy with consequential shifts in NATO and global security dynamics. Close attention to follow\u2011up statements and formal policies in the coming months will show whether Merz\u2019s diagnosis produces policy change or merely reframes existing anxieties.<\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cy4wpv0wx43o\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BBC \u2014 Munich Security Conference coverage<\/a> (news)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lead Opening the Munich Security Conference, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that the post\u2011war rules\u2011based international order &#8220;no longer exists,&#8221; urging Europeans to prepare for sacrifice and to repair transatlantic trust. He spoke as around 50 world leaders gather to discuss European defence, the Russia\u2011Ukraine war and rising tensions with China and Iran. Merz also &#8230; <a title=\"World&#8217;s rules-based order &#8216;no longer exists&#8217;, Germany&#8217;s Merz warns &#8211; BBC\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/rules-based-order-merz\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about World&#8217;s rules-based order &#8216;no longer exists&#8217;, Germany&#8217;s Merz warns &#8211; BBC\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19346,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"Merz warns world's rules-based order is gone \u2014 Insight Daily","rank_math_description":"At the Munich Security Conference, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the rules\u2011based order \"no longer exists,\" urging Europeans to prepare sacrifices and revive transatlantic trust.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"rules-based order, Munich Security Conference, Friedrich Merz, transatlantic divide","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19350","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19350","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19350"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19350\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19350"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}