Wolfgang Ischinger

Wolfgang Ischinger studied in Bonn and Geneva and at the Fletcher School and Harvard Law School. He held senior diplomatic and policy posts before becoming state secretary in 1998. In 2001, he moved to Washington as ambassador, where he represented Germany through a severe disagreement with the United States over the invasion of Iraq. ^{1, 2}

In an April 2003 address to the Commonwealth Club of California, Ischinger defended Germany’s alliance with the United States while explaining its opposition to the war. He argued that Iraq could have been contained and disarmed peacefully and urged the United States to remain engaged in Europe. ²

After Washington, Ischinger served as ambassador in London and represented the European Union in the 2007 Kosovo negotiations. He chaired the Munich Security Conference from 2008 to 2022 and developed teaching and research on security at the Hertie School. He also led OSCE work on dialogue in Ukraine and European security in 2014 and 2015. ¹