Annalena Baerbock is one of the most popular politicians in Germany. Since taking office, the Green Foreign Minister has seemingly effortlessly outshined most of her traffic light colleagues. But her political style is not all positive, and Baerbock’s biggest competitor is still in her own ranks.
As with other counterparts, an appointment with the German Foreign Minister includes an extensive entourage. Speakers, press officers, journalists, one or two state secretaries and sufficient security personnel then climb out of the armored government limousines and buses.
But before every encounter with her, it becomes clear that this is not just any appointment. After all, the Foreign Minister of one of the most influential countries in the world and thus one of the most powerful women in Europe is about to step down: Annalena Charlotte Alma Baerbock.
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However, the level of authority of such a protocol does not correspond to the image that the Greens project as soon as they leave the service platoon. On the contrary: Baerbock is only too happy to give up being a diplomat. She says and asks what she thinks. Speaks in words everyone understands. And is not afraid to make mistakes.
For example, Baerbock doesn’t ask whether it’s politically correct to ask a farmer in Niger to show her how to carry buckets of melons and then joke with the stretcher behind her neck. The minister makes it easy. According to the motto: There is a shitstorm one way or the other.
A plus point, according to many Germans, for whom Baerbock has been one of the most popular politicians for months, according to surveys. Unlike Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is neither small talk nor closeness.
Scholz always remains in his role, while the Foreign Minister can easily discard being a politician. But does she just as easily return to the role of diplomat when the situation calls for it? After all, sensitivity is often required on the international stage.
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It is not for nothing that meetings with relevant partners are often prepared in detail. Even the smallest mistake, such as the wrong seating arrangement, could be seen as an affront. Former Chancellor Angela Merkel and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have practically perfected this art of high diplomacy in recent years.
Baerbock, on the other hand, attaches just as little importance to the sentence “We’ve always done it this way” as to classic communication and self-portrayal. A photo of working in the government plane, the ultimate symbol of power for politicians? No, thank you. The Green Party leaves with its documents prefer to take pictures on the bus during their trip to Germany.
Not because Baerbock doesn’t like to demonstrate strength and influence. As foreign minister, and the first woman to hold the office, Baerbock is only too happy to make it clear to her often male counterparts that she, too, has mastered the power game.
It has happened that the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov put vodka on her table at lunchtime, because men considered the ability to drink for a long time to be a strength. Baerbock, however, still only sipped at it and coolly replied to the repeated requests to continue drinking: “If drinking vodka at noon is an endurance test … I have given birth to two children.”
For men like Lavrov – who is known for being a shrewd provocateur and likes to embarrass his opponent – such methods from Western negotiating partners are unfamiliar – especially from female negotiating partners.
It usually works differently: when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confronted Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) with the so-called “Sofa-Gate”, she reacted very diplomatically take a seat again with Erdogan in a separate room.
However, there were only two chairs in the room. Erdogan and Michel sat down and left von der Leyen standing, who after a few seconds and a puzzled “um” took a seat on the sofa to the side without further reply. After all, public conflicts in diplomacy are usually avoided at all costs.
Baerbock sees it differently. The Foreign Minister is not afraid to step on the toes of her colleagues from Russia, China or Turkey. In Turkey, she deliberately strikes a sharp tone against the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, and Baerbock takes a clear stand for Taiwan in the conflict over China and Taiwan.
But what meets with great approval in Germany is not well received in authoritarian states such as Russia, China or Turkey. Again and again it had threatened to escalate here in the past weeks and months. One example: China even recently summoned the German ambassador in Beijing, Patricia Flor, because of critical statements by the Federal Foreign Minister.
And after her appearance in Turkey, Cavusoglu was quoted as saying that he wanted former Chancellor Angela Merkel back. Is the foreign minister in danger of going too far one day and closing the door on international relations?
After all, conflicts like that between China and Taiwan require a great deal of sensitivity and diplomacy. Just like dealing with Turkey. Both countries are important partners for Germany. And especially now, in the current conflict with Russia, an escalation should be avoided.
So if Baerbock offends international partners with exactly the character traits that make them so popular in Germany – how much success will the new communication style bring you as Foreign Minister?
One thing is clear: the Greens politician must show that she has mastered the tightrope walk between her own values and the required diplomacy – even if she has to step back from time to time.
In addition, Baerbock outshines traffic light colleagues like Olaf Scholz or Christian Lindner. However, the Greens remain almost constantly behind their party colleague and former co-chairman Robert Habeck in the polls. All the things that characterize Baerbock are just as easy for the Economics Minister and Vice Chancellor.
Habeck also likes proximity and plain language. And unlike the foreign minister, he can often put diplomacy on hold. After all, he is Minister for Germany, while she is Minister for Germany in the world.
It will not be easy for Baerbock to outshine Habeck in the years to come. Yet he is their biggest competitor. Because at some point the K-question will also come up again for the Greens. And anyone who knows Annalena Baerbock knows that the topic is far from off the table for her.
