Challenges for Baerbock: “The EU’s foundation is non-negotiable”

In view of the major global challenges, the EU must appear uniformly, emphasized Foreign Minister Baerbock in the daily topics. She wants to address problems openly. In the future, the federal government must think across departments.

Annalena Baerbock has in the daily topics shown which accents she would like to set in her office as Foreign Minister. It is important for her to start working straight away as a minister “in view of the crises that we have in the world, but also around Europe”.

Brussels, Paris and Warsaw were important to her as stations on her first inaugural visits to talk about similarities. With regard to Poland, however, it was also important to her to talk about the issues of where one is apart. “For example with questions about the rule of law, but also about dealing with refugees on the Belarusian-Polish border,” said Baerbock.

For them, historical responsibility and responsibility towards European friends and neighbors are not a contradiction in terms of advocating peaceful coexistence. If in the current time European fundamental values ​​are not so observed by others, it is important to “address these things openly and honestly”.

To this end, she met with the ombudsman for human rights in Warsaw. “Of course I had the situation in Poland described to me with a view to the rule of law and the situation of judges,” declared the Foreign Minister. The sense and purpose of diplomacy, however, is to find common solutions.

Poland: A diametrical stance on the rule of law

With regard to the rule of law, there are not only different views with Poland, they are also diametrically opposed to each other. “At the moment we don’t have a solution on the table. We have to work on that.” She believes it is right that the European Commission should make it clear that not only ECJ rulings are observed, but that the foundations of the European Union are non-negotiable.

On her first visits, she does not travel with the illusion that she will now solve all problems. That would be presumptuous and wrong. But it is important for her to make it clear on the first days of her term of office what the new coalition stands for: For reliability, for continuity with friends and neighbors. She wanted to make it clear that “we want progress not only domestically, but also in Europe”. To do this, it is important to address things openly. “Conversation and dialogue are the be-all and end-all of good foreign policy – even if it is difficult.”

Small sign of talks on Eastern Ukraine

Baerbock also took a stand on the situation on the border between Russia and eastern Ukraine. It was absolutely right that Europeans had already made it clear in the past within the framework of NATO that “the borders in Europe are immovable”.

There is a small, but caution, indication that talks could be resumed, said Baerbock. She has a clear stance: “Ukraine’s sovereignty is inviolable for us. An invasion or any other advance would have massive political or economic consequences with a view to Russia.”

Think across departments

There are currently not only major challenges, but also global problems such as the conflict between Russia and eastern Ukraine, the Iran Agreement, the climate crisis and the corona pandemic. Of course, the big questions of this time would have to be resolved jointly in the Chancellery, the Foreign Ministry and with other ministries.

The big task of the new coalition is to think about questions not individually, but across departments. “Only with the strength of the coalition and the strength of the Europeans will we have any chance at all in these stormy times,” Baerbock made clear.