Munich Security Conference CEO: Europe has certainly learned many, mostly painful, lessons from the war in Ukraine

Dr. Benedikt Franke Vice-President and CEO of the Munich Security Conference during the workσ of the World Economic Forum in Davos spoke exclusively to OT about the Greek-Turkish situation, the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis.

Mr. Franke, referring to Greece-Turkey relations, described the conflict between the two countries as unfortunate and said “the conflict between the two countries is very unfortunate not only because it is happening between two NATO allies who should be focusing on other issues but because it seems to be a matter of ‘underground’ diplomacy”.

Regarding the energy crisis, the Vice-President of the Munich Security Conference states that Europe should face the current impasse of energy security moving through three paths, one of which is the strengthening of the Global South.

For 2023 Mr. Franke hopes it will be an important year for the unification of Europe, for the victory of Ukraine and for the defeat of autocrats around the world.

Mr. Franke let’s start with the war. What lessons did Europe learn from the war in Ukraine?

Europe has certainly learned many, mostly painful, lessons – ranging from the need to increase awareness of its own dependencies and vulnerabilities to the imperative to think about security both holistically and proactively. I just hope that we will not, again, unlearn these lessons but build on them and make Europe safer and more resilient.

Greece is experiencing provocative rhetoric from Turkey. After Europe’s bitter experience with Russia – what do you think Europe’s position should be in our case?

The current dispute between Greece and Turkey is very unfortunate, not only because it is between two NATO allies, who should be focusing on other issues, but also because it seems to be a matter for “quiet diplomacy” rather than public belligerent rhetoric. If we don’t quickly resolve our internal differences, we as Europe, as the West or as liberal democracies (whatever you want to call us) will simply be overwhelmed by alternative systems.

The Alps show that the climate crisis is here. Is it true that the climate crisis is accelerating – what should countries do to stop thiw acceleration?

The Munich Security Conference has drawn up a detailed list of transatlantic obligations that lists almost 20 very specific action items for the transatlantic community. We strongly believe that we must do more to support the ‘Global South’ on its path to climate-friendly development, while reducing our own dependence on fossil fuels. Both aspects are not only good for the planet, but also from a geostrategic point of view.

We are in a deep energy crisis because of the war in Ukraine. How should Europe act to deal with this crisis?

Europe should address the current impasse in energy security on three levels: In the short term, Europe must ensure that Russian energy sources are replaced by others, ideally without strengthening other authoritarian regimes and rulers. In the medium term, we need to carefully balance our geostrategic goals, such as strengthening the Global South, with our energy security strategies. In the long term, only a transition to 100% renewable energy makes any strategic sense. We will also need to improve the European Energy Union to provide sufficient capacity.

How in this crisis will we manage to achieve the goal of getting rid of carbon?

Just as COVID-19 gave a huge boost to the digitization of the workplace and the education system, the Russian invasion gave the green energy revolution a much-needed, and extremely overdue, boost. Everyone has now realized the need to reduce dependence on external (fossil) energy sources and almost everyone has also understood that this must be done in a way that reduces carbon emissions.

Recession clouds are gathering around the world. What do you think? Will 2023 be a turbulent year?

There is a lot to worry about in 2023. Many of them are more important than just recession. However, there is also some hope. We hope that 2023 will be a year for the unification of Europe, for the victory of Ukraine and for the defeat of authoritarian leaders around the world. If we continue challenging our own impotence in the face of unwarranted aggression and overt attempts to reinterpret the rules-based international order, 2023 will be an extraordinary year for liberal democracies around the world.