Profile

Dr. Benedikt Franke

Vice-Chairman / Chief Executive Officer

Benedikt Franke is Vice-Chair and CEO with the Munich Security Conference (MSC).

Before joining the MSC, he served as Senior Advisor for Strategic Affairs at the CSU and previous to that he was the Special Assistant for former Secretary-General of the United Nations and Nobel Laureate Kofi Annan.

Benedikt holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge and a master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He publishes regularly on foreign and security policy topics and sits on a number of relevant committees such as the Foundation Council of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen and the International Commission of the CSU. In his (limited) leisure time he works as Special Envoy of the Sovereign Order of Malta.

MSC Publications

The Art of Diplomacy
A new book, conceived on the occasion of Wolfgang Ischinger’s 75th birthday and edited by Tobias Bunde and Benedikt Franke, brings together a stellar group of contributors who investigate…
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Munich Young Leaders Anniversary Report
On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Munich Young Leaders program, the Munich Security Conference and Körber-Stiftung have published a report on the current state and future of…
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Transnational Security Report
The Transnational Security Report shines a light on examples of illicit cross-border flows which endanger global security by funding conflicts and perpetuating instability. The report aims…
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Munich Security Report 2019
The Munich Security Report 2019 analyzes the reshuffling of core pieces of the international order. Besides looking at major powers like the United States, China and Russia, the report also…
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Munich Security Report 2018
With data, analyses, maps and infographics, the Munich Security Report 2018 provides an overview of the most important security policy issues prior to the 54th Munich Security Conference. It…
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Munich Security Report 2017
The Munich Security Report 2017 analyses the crisis of liberal democracies, the current state of European defence policy, and other issues relevant to security policy. The report was…
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Munich Security Report 2016
The Munich Security Report 2016, published before the 52nd Munich Security Conference, focuses on the crisis of the European security order, the war in Syria, and the worldwide activities of…
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The Munich Security Report 2015
Ahead of the Munich Security Conference's 51st edition, the MSC published its first Munich Security Report (MSR), an annual digest on critical questions and important trends in international…
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In the Media

An Uncertain Global Order Faces a New U.S. Administration
As Inauguration Day 2021 approaches, Europe watches from afar. What does a Joe Biden presidency spell for the shifting global order? Dr. Benedikt Franke, CEO of the Munich Security…
The Gallup Podcast
What Really Drives Political Action in the Real World?
International politics seems, to many, to be clocked in a veil of mystery and fog. Political decisions are many times looked upon with frustration and at times disbelief by investors and…
4 Corners Podcast