Security: lessons from Munich

Nathalie Tocci, back from the Munich Security Conference, where she chaired the first panels, talks about the main messages and lessons of the conference. The discussion revolved around the relationship between Europe and the Usa. “Cooperation, so to speak, is all well and good so long as it translates into Europeans (and others) doing what the US dictates”. In these times of American retrenchment and unwillingness to engage in dialogue, it is time for Europe to “break out of our comfort zone, assuming greater responsibility and forging more creative partnerships to ensure that as we transition from one international system to the next, multilateralism, shared rules and international law will remain the lynchpin of international society”.