Feb 10, 2026
3 min read
SICO 2026: Chancellor Merz wants to meet with Trump critic Newsom in Munich, while Secretary Rubio travels.A diplomatic minefield?details.
A diplomatic insult?Mertz met with Trump's fiercest critic in America
SICO 2026: Chancellor Merz Wants to Meet Trump Critic Newsom in Munich — While Trump Secretary Rubio TravelsA diplomatic minefield?details.
Munich - A meeting that could cause discomfort in Washington: Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) will host California Governor Gavin Newsom - one of the sharpest critics of US President Donald Trump - next Friday, February 13, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.Munich-based Ippen.Media has learned this from governments.The conversation between the head of the German government and the potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2028 is taking place at an explosive time: while relations across the Atlantic are already strained, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is traveling to Munich at the same time as a representative of the Trump administration.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, Newsom made international headlines with Trump's "opposition" of European leaders and now a direct confrontation with MERS — a diplomatic signal that could exacerbate tensions between the old and new worlds.
Munich Security Conference 2026: Mears meets Trump opponent Newsom
The Munich Security Conference (SICO) from Friday to Sunday will be an important arena for transatlantic tensions. Border's meeting with Newsom is likely to be one of the highlights. In total, more than 60 heads of state and government, as well as about 100 foreign and defense ministers from about 120 countries, are expected at the 2026 edition - about two-thirds of all UN member states. In addition to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, many opponents of Donald Trump,The President of the United States has also been invited. Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, has also confirmed his presence.
Against this background, SICO 2026 is eagerly awaited.As MSC boss Wolfgang Eichinger has already said, Handelsblatt is “facing serious and partly strategic challenges.Since we took over in 2008, we have never experienced so many crises, conflicts and wars at the same time.It is significant that the MSC described this year's safety report as "below disaster".
The conference was dominated by what organizers called "Politics of Vandalism".Powerful actors, especially the United States under Donald Trump, use it to shape international institutions.
Trump probably won't like the list of Siko 2026 participants
The appearance of famous opponents of Trump from the USA is likely to attract particular attention.At a press conference in Berlin, conference leader Wolfgang Ischinger announced that California Governor Gavin Newsom, left-wing congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer will participate in SICO 2026 as key representatives of the opposition Democratic Party.
Newsom, the head of the most populous country and the largest economy in the United States, has already caused the World Economic Forum in Davos in January with sharp criticism of European leaders.after".
Rubio is scheduled to give a speech at the security conference.
The US government delegation will be led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.This is very different from the previous year, when Vice President JD Vance caused a scandal with a speech that caused many European allies.Vance had complained about the state of democracy in Europe, criticizing the lack of freedom of speech.AFD leader Alice Weidel.
Secretary of State Rubio is also considered a hardliner, but he is openly pro-NATO and – unlike Trump in Davos, for example – has repeatedly emphasized the importance of Europe to US security interests.According to Handelsblatt, the head of MSC Ischinger expects Rubio to talk about foreign policy and security issues: "At least that's my expectation," he said.
Newsom, who needs to make a decision on a possible presidential run in 2028 after Trump's election in mid-November, will speak on climate protection on Saturday.Rubio is scheduled to appear the same day.
In Siko, Merz maneuvers between proximity to Trump and opposition
President Friedrich Merz is in a special position: Other European leaders have lost access to the White House. Merz has recently been seen as one of the few European leaders who can still reach Trump.This privileged position makes his planned meeting with Newsom, a Trump critic, all the more explosive.Merz is navigating between the need to preserve German-American relations and fostering European opposition to Trump's foreign policy.
The meeting with Newsom could be interpreted as a sign that the Chancellor is also beginning to distance herself from the Trump administration.At the same time, talks are also planned with the President of Ukraine Zelensky and the US Secretary of State Rubio, a diplomatic balancing act that underlines Merz's position as a mediator between the fronts.(Sources: dpa, own investigation, Handelsblatt) (jek)
