Civilian crisis prevention and transatlantic responsibility – Impressions from the Munich Security Conference 2026

Throughout numerous debates, it became clear that military deterrence alone is not sufficient to secure peace and stability in the long term. Instead, the focus shifted to traditional areas of civil crisis prevention: establishing legitimate state institutions, scoial and economic participation, prevention of violence, and strengthening social resilience. It was emphasised repeatedly that unresolved development deficits, inequality and a lack of opportunities are central drivers behind conlicts – and that prevention must be given much higher priority, both politically and financially.

Furthermore, it is positive to mention that the role of development as a long-term security policy instrument played an increasingly important role at the conference. A trend that must definitly continue. Last but not least, UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo argued that development should no longer be treated as ´soft` power but as ´hard` power. Wolfgang Ischinger, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference, also called for even greater intregation of development policy issues in the future.

Transatlantic relations were also a key topic at the conference. Many contributions expressed concerns that security burdens could be distributed unevenly and that multilateral approaches could be weakend. At the same time, the need to renew the transatlantic alliance not only militarily, but also politically and civically was emphasized – through joint investments in crisis prevention, stabilization, and rules-based international cooperation.

Friedrich Merz´s keynote speech at the start of the conference also addressed this perspective: according to Merz, long-term security can only be achived where state structures function effectively and conflicts are dealt with politically at an early stage.

Another important signal for the significance of inclusive peacemaking approaches was sent by the WOMEN100 dinner, which was attended by advisory board members Julia Leininger, Melanie Hauenstein, and Kira Vinke. The contributions made it impressively clear that women are central to sustainable peace, yet they are still too infrequently systematically involved in peace processes.

The MSC 2026 thus made it clear that a sustainable security architecture requires the interaction of military, diplomatic, and civilian instruments. Civilian crisis prevention is not a subordinate policy area, but a central component in preventing escalations, strengthening transatlantic trust, and securing international stability in the long term.