At the Munich Security Conference, Vice‑Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil told RTL and NTV that tighter cooperation with both Western and Global‑South partners is essential. He noted that several value‑aligned democracies-such as the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Australia-express a strong interest in collaborating with Europe. “You can see it all the time: they want to work with us” he said, adding that the same enthusiasm is shared by countries in the Global South, particularly South Africa, Brazil and India.
Klingbeil stressed the importance of bolstering ties with those nations, even if Germany and its European allies do not agree on every issue. He pointed out that in political talks the Global South often reminds European leaders that major powers like China and Russia are active in the region, asking, “Where are the Europeans?” He sees this as a call for stronger engagement.
The SPD politician highlighted opportunities for deeper cooperation, especially in advancing the Capital Market Union. “We need to take a large step forward” he said. He believes that cooperation is a source of strength and that it stands in direct contrast to the “America First” policy being championed by the United States. Klingbeil is convinced that pursuing a collaborative path is, in the end, both the more rational and the more powerful strategy.
