In the German foreign office decided on an unusual decision: the German Embassy in Slovenia will soon be headed by a married couple. On such step the Ministry has gone to make foreign service more attractive, including for women. The couple will travel to Ljubljana for four years, during which will succeed each other at the head of the diplomatic mission every eight months. While one of them will be acting Ambassador, the second will deal with the children.About the experiment in the German foreign Ministry told the TV channel ARD. From the plot it follows that a married couple Natalie Cautery and Adrian Polman will go to Slovenia in August. She’s 45, he’s 43, according to the education they lawyers, in the diplomatic service since 2005.The last few years they have worked in the Central apparatus of the Ministry in Berlin, and when it is time again to think about leaving the foreign office, began to persuade the authorities to decide on an experiment and assign them to one post. Diplomats told reporters that they see themselves as pioneers.The couple has three children. “The main reason why we insisted on this scheme, was the understanding that we want and need to spend more time with children. And while they still need it ourselves. They are now seven, eight and ten, and once they themselves no longer need,” says Adrian Pollman.He and his wife noted that foreign Minister Heiko Maas and human resources depodesta was open to new ideas. In the story emphasizes that before the MFA was considered a conservative structure, but is now trying to become a more attractive employer that requires flexibility. Among all government agencies at the Federal level in Germany, the foreign Ministry is one of the last places on the number of women in high positions (about 25%).The pair will go to Macao for four years. As Ambassador spouses will replace each other every eight months (kind of rotation they have chosen). While one of them will be acting head of the diplomatic mission, the second will deal with the children. At the same time at public events, e.g., receptions, both spouses will be considered the official representatives of Germany. First post of the Ambassador to intercede Adrian Pollman.The story notes that in the foreign Ministry of Germany about 11% of employees are married couples. However, among them some cases when both are on the same level of the career ladder.The Russian foreign Ministry examples assignment of spouses to one post yet.The German foreign Ministry conducted an internal reform in the years 2014-2016. According to senior expert of the Centre for policy management decisions (SPUR) Oleg Shakirov, many of the changes were aimed at improving internal processes and adaptation of organizational structure to the new tasks (e.g. creation of the office of the Directorate General for before��rotation of crises). “But the reform set the tone and the longer-term transformation of the Ministry, including issues of organizational culture. One of the directions stipulated that diplomacy should better reflect the diversity of German society. The appointment of ambassadors of husband and wife as well the line fits”— he explained “Kommersant”.Oleg Shakirov co — authored a recently published report on the reforms in the ministries of foreign Affairs of 11 countries (.pdf)”broadly speaking, in recent years in different countries, more attention is paid to the problems of women in diplomatic organizations,”— said the expert. So, a researcher from the University of Gothenburg found that in 2014, ambassadors from all 50 of the largest GDP countries, only 15% were women, and even in Europe (except Scandinavia), the figure was 14%. “European countries are looking for different ways to solve the problems of career advancement of female diplomats. Another interesting example is the French foreign Ministry, which concludes a bilateral agreement in order for the spouses of diplomats to work abroad, while maintaining its diplomatic or consular status,— says the interlocutor of Kommersant.— If the experiment Germany will succeed, I think it could make primarily European, and then other countries.”Elena Chernenko
