Overview
- Invitations were sent before Christmas to MPs from all Bundestag parties, prioritizing foreign and security committee specialists, for the 13–15 February 2026 gathering in Munich.
- Interim chair Wolfgang Ischinger made the decision with the MSC foundation council, and he says AfD attendees are invited to participate but not to appear on stage.
- AfD parliamentary leader Alice Weidel had not received an invitation at the time of reporting, with organizers saying the guest list is still being finalized; an AfD spokesman called the plan broadly positive.
- CSU’s Alexander Hoffmann and FDP’s Marie‑Agnes Strack‑Zimmermann warned of security risks tied to alleged AfD links to Russia and China, pointing to vulnerabilities in smaller, informal sessions.
- The shift reverses Christoph Heusgen’s 2024–2025 ban after AfD and BSW lawmakers walked out on Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Bundestag speech, as last year U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance criticized the exclusion and met Alice Weidel; claims of U.S. pressure remain unproven.