Are Multilateral Forums Now Political Circuses?
From the MSC to AU Summit 2025: Political Theater on Steroids
It’s ironic that as the world becomes more geopolitically fragmented, with greater security and existential threats, international fora dedicated to serious global dialogue have now turned into political circuses. Political leaders have become clowns, each vying for the highest display of political hilarity. From US Vice President JD Vance comparing Elon Musk to the pesky version of the European Greta Thunberg, to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivering a stand-up political comedy reciting Chinese proverbs, and Rwandan Defense Minister Juvenal Marizamunda (as an audience member) seemingly reading a speech during a Q&A session at a panel discussion that included Congolese President Tshisekedi, who accused regional economic bodies in Africa of being hypocrites, the 2025 Munich Security Conference (MSC) seemed less like a serious geopolitical event and more like a stage for political showboating.
For the MSC (held from February 14-16), multi-polarization was evidently visible and tangibly felt, with European leaders accusing Vance of election interference. Meanwhile, at the AU Summit (held from February 15-16), which focused on reparations, discussions devolved into a bitter leadership fight and almost directionless endeavor.
In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, African leaders gathered to discuss reparations and special drawing rights, even as the continent faces serious security threats, including insurgency in the Sahel, external interference, the ongoing war in Sudan, and the Rwanda-Congo DRC-South Africa diplomatic chaos with possible spillover effects, among others. Tensions flared at the African Union (AU) Summit, where Algeria and Egypt exchanged sharp jabs, Congolese delegates were reportedly blocked from attending the AU Peace and Security Council meeting, and Kenyan opposition leader Raila