Join us as we reflect on the key issues and debates of this year's Munich Security Conference. This event is hosted by the Centre for International Security.
The 61st Munich Security Conference (MSC) will be held from 14 to 16 February 2025 in Munich. This year's conference occurs at a pivotal time, with a new U.S. administration taking office in January, the commencement of a new European legislative cycle in Brussels, and German parliamentary elections set for just a week after the conference.
This year’s agenda will address urgent security challenges, including global governance, democratic resilience, climate security, regional conflicts, and the future of the transatlantic alliance.
Following the MSC, the Centre for International Security at the Hertie School will host its annual Post-MSC Discussion, offering an in-depth analysis of key debates and conclusions from the conference. Participating in this event provides a unique opportunity to gain expert insights into the evolving international security landscape.
Speakers
Discussants
Jeffrey Rathke is the President of the American-German Institute at the Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC. Prior to joining AGI, Jeff was a senior fellow and deputy director of the Europe Program at CSIS, where his work focused on transatlantic relations and U.S. security and defense policy. Jeff joined CSIS in 2015 from the State Department, after a 24-year career as a Foreign Service Officer, dedicated primarily to U.S. relations with Europe. He was director of the State Department Press Office from 2014 to 2015, briefing the State Department press corps and managing the Department’s engagement with U.S. print and electronic media. Jeff led the political section of the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur from 2011 to 2014. Prior to that, he was deputy chief of staff to the NATO Secretary General in Brussels. He also served in Berlin as minister-counselor for political affairs (2006–2009), his second tour of duty in Germany.
Anna Sauerbrey is the foreign editor at the largest German weekly newspaper, Die Zeit. Before assuming this position, she was deputy editor-in-chief at Der Tagesspiegel, a daily newspaper based in Berlin. She has written about German politics in The New York Times and comments on German and international politics on public German radio and television programs. Anna Sauerbrey is the author of “Machtwechsel. Wie eine neue Politikergeneration das Land verändert” (Rowohlt Berlin, 2022), a book on the generation of German policymakers succeeding Angela Merkel. She received a Ph.D. in history from the University of Mainz in 2009.
Leonid Volkov is the political director of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, the leading organisation of Russian anti-Putin and anti-war resistance movement, founded by the late Alexei Navalny. He was campaign manager and chief of staff for Navalny's Moscow mayoral campaign of 2013 and presidential campaign of 2018. Since 2019 he has to reside outside of Russia. There are 11 politically motivated criminal cases against him initiated by Putin’s regime.
Chair
Marina Henke is Professor of International Relations at the Hertie School and Director of the Centre for International Security. She researches and publishes on grand strategy, nuclear security and European security and defence policy. Before joining the Hertie School, she was an Associate Professor (with tenure) at Northwestern University, specialising in international relations, as well as at Princeton University where she was a Lecturer and Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. She holds a PhD in Politics and Public Policy from Princeton University.