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The Munich Security Conference (MSC) will have to wait a while longer for a new head. According to a press release from the MSC, Jens Stoltenberg, who was originally supposed to replace Christoph Heusgen in February of this year, will take over the position as soon as his term in office in Norway ends. No deadline has been set. Until then, Wolfgang Ischinger, President of the Board of Trustees, will continue to serve as chairman. “I am delighted that Jens Stoltenberg remains firmly committed to becoming part of the MSC team and to take over the chairmanship of the conference as soon as his office in the Norwegian government comes to an end,” explained Ischinger. Stoltenberg will join the Board of Trustees in November to prepare for his future role.

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The Norwegian politician was not only Secretary General of NATO for ten years until 2024 but also a particularly popular Prime Minister of his country from 2005 to 2013. Current Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store took advantage of Stoltenberg's popularity and appointed him to his cabinet as Minister of Finance at the beginning of this year. In the parliamentary elections in September, Store's Labour Party once again became the strongest force in Norway.

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“I would like to thank Wolfgang Ischinger and the members of the MSC Board of Trustees for their continued support and patience,” said Stoltenberg in the press release. “As everyone knows, I had to change my initial plans to join MSC earlier this year when Prime Minister Store asked me to join his government. My firm decision to head MSC remains unchanged.” As head of NATO, Stoltenberg established close ties with the USA and has just written a book about his experiences during this time.

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Preparations for the next MSC, to be held from 13 to 15 February 2026, are in full swing. The conference is considered one of the most important security and foreign policy forums worldwide. gd