Global order in peril from lack of cooperation, says Merkel; slams China, U.S. for resisting AI regulation

The global “order of cooperation” has been supplanted by “might makes right”, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday (February 26, 2026), blaming Russia for overturning territorial principles in its invasion of Ukraine, and the United States for weakening the United Nations and multilateralism.

Delivering the inaugural Dr. Manmohan Singh Memorial Lecture, Ms. Merkel said many of the issues facing the world today could benefit from Singh’s “works and beliefs”. Her term as Chancellor of Germany (2005-2021) overlapped with his tenure as Prime Minister of India (2004-2014). Ms. Merkel welcomed the finalisation of the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that they had initiated in 2006, after “a marathon of negotiations”, in January this year.

“After the global financial crisis (2008) and its impact — recession in industrialised nations and the developing world —[Dr. Singh] made it clear that these difficulties needed cooperation, not confrontation,” Ms. Merkel told former National Security Advisor and author Shiv Shankar Menon in a conversation following the speech, which was entitled, “Germany and India in times of global change”.

‘Protectionism stifling growth’

“Dr. Singh’s warnings are of prime importance today as protectionism is stifling growth. This is why the India-EU FTA is so important,” she added, pointing out that the agreement could only move forward after European countries agreed to keep the sensitive agricultural sector out of the negotiations.

The event was organised by the Manmohan Singh Trust, which was established by his family and supported by the government, after his death in 2024. It was attended by several Opposition leaders including former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, and former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, along with government officials, diplomats, and academics.

Recounting her interactions with the former Indian PM, Ms. Merkel — who credited him with the economic liberalisation of 1991 that “set the path for India’s economic growth for the next 30 years” — said he had never forced his opinions on her, but made her think about the conditions of the developing world, not just Europe and industrialised nations. She said she was disappointed that India did not initially support her objectives on climate change, as Singh said the Indian Parliament would never allow binding commitments on carbon reduction. The resultant compromises eventually led to the adoption of the Paris climate accord, she said.

‘Hold Big Tech to account’

Issuing a warning about the advent of unregulated technology, particularly Artificial Intelligence, Ms. Merkel said that it was the responsibility of governments to protect the interests of their people, and hold big technology companies, social media platforms, and AI developers to account. 

“Those of us still believing in multilateralism must work to protect these interests, as countries like China are setting their own rules and the United States is trying to prevent any kind of regulation [of AI]. If we don’t, the principle of multilateralism will be outdated and ossified,” Ms. Merkel said, adding that Singh’s record could be a source of “inspiration and courage” to find a way through the divergence. 

‘Democracy under pressure’

Ms. Merkel, who has recounted her meetings with both former PM Singh and current Prime Minister Narendra Modi in her memoirs, Freedom, said that she had been particularly impressed with India’s size and vast population, but also its diversity. During her lecture, she mentioned Singh’s tenure as the first Prime Minister from a minority (Sikh) community of more than a billion Indians as a matter of “pride”.

Ms. Merkel, who stepped down in 2021 after severe criticism of her migrant policy as well as her handling of Russia, said that democracy was under “pressure” across the world, including in Germany, but insisted that she stood by her decisions while in office. At the Christian Democratic Union’s party congress in Stuttgart last week, attended by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Ms. Merkel had received a standing ovation from delegates, leading to speculation about her continuing interest in politics. However, responding to a question at Thursday’s event, Ms. Merkel said it was better for retired leaders not to express opinions or interfere in their successor’s work.