Press Release
MSC Conversation with Chancellor Candidates on the Future of German Foreign and Security Policy
The German Chancellor candidates Annalena Baerbock, Armin Laschet und Olaf Scholz will discuss Germany’s future role in the world in a joint TV broadcast by the Munich Security Conference (MSC) and ARD on June 26, 2021. The event will be broadcast live from 05.30 p.m. - 07.00 p.m. (CEST) on the German TV channel Phoenix. Live streams are available on tagesschau.de and the social media channels of Tagesschau, as well as on the MSC website and its social media channels with English translation.
Beyond Westlessness - Germany's Role in the World
With a new US administration having assumed office in January and German Federal Elections coming up in September, significant shifts are taking place on both sides of the Atlantic this year. During his first months in office, US President Joe Biden clearly demonstrated his commitment to renewing and strengthening transatlantic and multilateral cooperation, including at the MSC Special Edition 2021
in February. With the end of the Merkel era fast approaching, international attention is now turning to Germany and the country’s future foreign policy course.
Together with ARD German Television, we have therefore decided to host the Chancellor candidates for the upcoming German Elections for an MSC Conversation on the Future of German Foreign and Security Policy on June 26, 2021, exactly three months before the elections. Under the title "Beyond Westlessness - Germany’s Role in the World", the three candidates will present and discuss their visions for a future German Foreign and Security Policy. The discussion will be moderated by Tina Hassel, Head of ARD Capital Studio, and Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference.
Following up on last year's special edition of the Munich Security Report "Zeitenwende | Wendezeiten", the MSC will use this event to shed light on a German Foreign and Security Policy in transition – and on the urgent global challenges facing Germany in the midst of a global political turning point.
Format
The MSC Conversation on German Foreign & Security Policy will take place on June 26, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. CEST, as a live TV broadcast.
The MSC is partnering with the ARD, Germany’s association of public broadcasters. The discussion will be broadcast live on the TV channel Phoenix, as well as on tagesschau.de, and the social media channels of Tagesschau. It will also be livestreamed with English translation on the MSC website and itssocial media channels and made available to international broadcasters in order to provide maximum global visibility and reach. Photos of the event are provided by the MSC for free disposal and can be found here.
The 90-minute TV production will take place in the form of a moderated paneldiscussion between the three Chancellor candidates for the upcoming German Federal Elections. In order to include international perspectives on, and expectations towards, Germany’s future role in the world, the session will also include short video questions from a selected group of senior decision-makers and experts. The debate will be held in German. A simultaneous translation to English will be made available.
Social Media
The MSC will feature the event on Twitter,Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. The livestream in English will be broadcast on our website and via Twitter, Facebook,LinkedIn, and YouTube. The livestream in German will be available on tagesschau.de and the social media channels of Tagesschau. Selected video clips from the debate will be shared afterwards via the MSC social media channels. If you would like to join the debate online, please use the handle @MunSecConf and the hashtag #MSCdebate.
