According to Wolfgang Ischinger, the head of the Munich Security Conference (MSC), German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) is expected to set the agenda when he opens the MSC on Friday. Ischinger told journalists in Berlin that the Chancellor will “in this role set the tone by appearing as the first speaker”. He added that allowing the German Chancellor to begin the conference marks a change from the MSC’s usual program.
Government spokesman Stefan Kornelius, however, saw no specialness in this arrangement. He noted that in the 30 years he has attended the MSC, it has been “very, very often” that the German Chancellor opens the event. Kornelius announced that a “general speech” will be delivered on Friday, adding that the Chancellor looks forward to using the platform to clarify the German government’s positions on key foreign‑policy issues.
