Rules-based world order no longer exists, German Chancellor Merz warns

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered a stark message to world leaders on Friday, declaring that the global system built on shared rules has effectively collapsed.

Addressing world leaders, Merz said “our freedom is not guaranteed” in an era increasingly shaped by big power politics and cautioned that Europeans must be prepared to make sacrifices. He also acknowledged strains across the Atlantic, saying “a deep divide has opened between Europe and the United States.”

“I fear we must put it even more bluntly: this order, however imperfect it was even at its best, no longer exists in that form,” Merz told leaders gathered in Munich.

‘OUR FREEDOM IS NOT GUARANTEED’

Merz cautioned that Europe can no longer assume security and prosperity are automatic.

“Our freedom is not guaranteed,” he said, arguing that the continent must be prepared to make “sacrifice” in a world defined by rivalry between major powers.

He described the summit as taking place at a “defining moment,” saying the post-World War II order “as imperfect as it was at its best times, no longer exists.”

RIFT ACROSS THE ATLANTIC

Merz also acknowledged widening tensions between Europe and the United States.

“A rift, a deep divide has opened between Europe and the United States,” he said, referencing comments made in Munich last year by US Vice-President JD Vance.

“The culture war of the Maga movement is not ours,” Merz added. “Freedom of speech ends here with us when that speech goes against human dignity and the constitution. We do not believe in tariffs and protectionism, but in free trade.”

His remarks come amid strained transatlantic ties, including US President Donald Trump’s threats to annex Greenland and impose tariffs on European imports.

Despite the tensions, Merz urged cooperation rather than separation.

“In the era of great-power rivalry, even the United States will not be powerful enough to go it alone,” he said. “Dear friends, being a part of NATO is not only Europe’s competitive advantage. It’s also the United States’ competitive advantage, so let’s repair and revive trans-Atlantic trust together.”

He admitted that Europe’s “excessive dependency” on Washington was partly self-inflicted but insisted that Europe is stepping up.

“We won’t do this by writing off NATO — we will do it by building a strong, self-supporting European pillar in the alliance,” he said.

EUROPE AS A GEOPOLITICAL POWER

French President Emmanuel Macron echoed the call, saying Europe must accelerate efforts to become “a geopolitical power,” especially in defense and technology.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also noted a “shift in mindset,” saying Europe is taking more responsibility within the alliance.

As leaders gathered in Munich against the backdrop of ongoing war in Ukraine and rising global tensions, Merz’s message was blunt: the old guardrails are gone.

What replaces them will depend on whether allies can rebuild trust — and share the burden — in a rapidly changing world.

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