Wolfgang Ischinger on Diplomacy in Turbulent Times: What Decision-Makers Can Learn from a Crisis Diplomat

“Are we still on the same team? Do we share the same goals?”

With these two questions, Wolfgang Ischinger described in February 2026—shortly before the start of the Munich Security Conference—what this year’s event would be about. More than 60 heads of state and government had announced their attendance, relations between Europe and the U.S. were under scrutiny, and the man who has shaped the conference for nearly two decades openly stated that it faced its greatest security challenges in all those years. When the meeting was over, his assessment was sober: He considered the conference a success, though not an outstanding one, and noted that many issues remained unresolved, but at least there was “a basis for picking up the phone again and talking to one another.”

An ambassador who arrived on the eve of September 11

Ischinger himself experienced firsthand what it’s like when world politics shifts from one day to the next. On the evening of September 10, 2001, he arrived in Washington as the new German ambassador. The next morning, as described by longtime Green Party politician Ralf Fücks in his laudatory speech at the 2015 Manfred Wörner Medal ceremony, he saw black smoke rising from the other bank of the Potomac—where the

Pentagon had been struck—from his office. In the years that followed, he had to represent Germany’s position toward the Bush administration, including during the severe transatlantic crisis surrounding the Iraq War, and, as Fücks recalls, he appeared calm and focused, determined above all to prevent transatlantic bridges from collapsing.

To this day, he draws on that period when assessing current crises. In August 2026, he compared the situation in Ukraine to the years following 2001: At that time, he noted, Iraq had diverted resources and political attention away from Afghanistan, and even today, despite its precarious situation, Ukraine is not receiving the attention it deserves.

The Craft: From Genscher to Dayton

Ischinger learned his craft in the Foreign Service, which he joined in 1975. In the 1980s, he worked closely with Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher and was involved in the negotiations regarding the departure of East German refugees from Prague. In 1995, as Political Director, he led the German delegation at the Bosnia peace negotiations in Dayton; in 2007, he represented the EU in the Kosovo Troika; and in 2014, he co-moderated roundtable discussions in Ukraine on behalf of the OSCE Chairmanship. In the same laudatory speech, Fücks called him a “bridge-builder by conviction.”

Quiet Diplomacy and a Sense of Humor

What is particularly revealing is how Ischinger speaks about negotiation. For him, public and confidential diplomacy follow different rules: “Historically, many significant diplomatic breakthroughs were initially prepared in confidence.” He points to the secret talks of the 1960s and 1970s—epitomized by figures such as Egon Bahr and Henry Kissinger—and notes that the public was only informed once reliable results were available.

Yet he never loses his sense of humor. He said he took the speech by U.S. Vice President JD Vance—which caused a stir in Munich in 2025—in stride and later congratulated Vance on having generated more public attention with that appearance than with any other. For his team, he added, this was also a win because it put the conference in the headlines worldwide.

From Diplomat to Host of Global Politics

In 2008, Ischinger took over as chairman of the Munich Security Conference and transformed it into the nonprofit foundation Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz gGmbH in 2011. From 2008 to 2014, he also served as Chief Representative of Allianz, so he has firsthand experience with both the political and corporate perspectives. Today, he is a senior fellow at the Hertie School in Berlin and a sought-after guest on talk shows such as “maybrit illner.”

He was scheduled to deliver a keynote address on June 2, 2026, at the International Bar Association’s annual conference on insolvency and restructuring. He has been heading the Munich Security Conference again since 2025, but intends to hand over the chairmanship as soon as possible after nearly 20 years. Outside of politics, as noted in a Council of Europe biography, he is a licensed ski instructor and an avid mountaineer.

Why Decision-Makers Should Listen to Wolfgang Ischinger

In his book “Welt in Gefahr” (Econ, 2018, co-authored with Claudia Cornelsen), Ischinger explicitly addresses readers without prior knowledge rather than experts. He explains which crises are shaking the world, what consequences they have for Germany, and how to respond to them. This ability to make complex ideas accessible makes him a sought-after speaker and interview guest.

His appearances are well-suited for events focusing on Europe and the EU, relations with the U.S., war and peace, or crisis management. For companies and associations, it is also of interest that he analyzes the geopolitical situation in the context of financial crises and resource scarcity, as evidenced by his lecture topics at the intersection of economy and politics.

Would you like to book Wolfgang Ischinger for your event? We will be happy to advise you personally: wolfgang.ischinger@premium-speakers.com or +1 (704) 804 1054

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