Christoph Heusgen, the former head of the Munich Security Conference, has drawn an unusual comparison to explain his emotional farewell speech. “It was like when I was crowned Schützenkönig” he told the Rheinische Post, referring to his first win as a marksman at the Neuss Bürger-Schützenfest last year. Heusgen, a diplomat and former advisor to Angela Merkel, has said he is accustomed to being emotional, but acknowledges that his recent speech was particularly tearful.
Heusgen’s emotional speech, which was interrupted by his voice cracking and tears, was delivered during his farewell address at the Munich Security Conference on Sunday. His eldest daughter comforted him on stage after he broke down, bringing the speech to an abrupt end. Heusgen attributed his tears not only to his personal departure, but also to the intensity of the past few days, particularly the speeches of US Vice President J.D. Vance and the European response that followed.
According to Heusgen, the conference marked a turning point, as Vance’s speech, which he described as “ideological” raised concerns about the shared values of Europe and the United States. Heusgen believes that the European Union’s unity is now more crucial than ever and that the conference’s outcome has significant implications for the future of the continent.
In a separate interview, Heusgen discussed his unexpected departure as the head of the Munich Security Conference, stating that he had initially planned to continue in the role for a bit longer, but the conference’s board of trustees decided that Annalena Baerbock, the German Foreign Minister, would be a better fit for the position.