The economy has been allowed to control foreign policy to an excessive degree, the Greens believe. Now they get the foreign minister themselves.
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NEWS ANALYSIS: The German government is changing course. Abroad, tensions have been particularly high in Russia and China. How far will the new three-party government go?
But first to a small sentence the government here in Norway has been waiting for in excitement. Should Germany become an observer at the UN nuclear summit next year? The answer in the government platform was yes. Thus, Norway is no longer the only NATO country that is an observer here.
In NATO, Norway’s decision – it became known via the Hurdal platform – provoked sharp reactions. For NATO, the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is not the way to go. Attending meetings here, even as an observer, is considered a form of loyalty breach.
Norway probably dared to take this step alone because they knew that Germany was coming after. In both countries, the Social Democrats won the election. The parties know each other well.
Green and feminist politics
Olaf Scholz is scheduled to be sworn in as chancellor on 6 December. Then a government is formed. Annalena Baerbock from the Greens becomes Germany’s first female foreign minister.
Baerbock and her party have been highly critical of incumbent Chancellor Angela Merkel’s foreign policy. They believe economic interests have been given control.
Now the foreign policy will also be green and feminist, it is stated in the government platform. Democracy and human rights must be given greater weight. Within the EU, it can have an impact on how developments in Poland and Hungary are handled.
Clear China policy
It could also mean a tougher front against both Russia and China.
An example is the EU’s investment agreement with China. It got incumbent Chancellor Angela Merkel able during Germany’s EU presidency last year. Since then, it has been on ice in the European Parliament.
The incoming German government will not ratify the agreement, they write in the government platform. In addition, Germany will clarify China’s policy in more detail with the United States. “The wording about China is the strongest in any German government platform ever,” an expert told Financial Times.
For Norway, such a clear German attitude means that concluding a separate free trade agreement with China will be very difficult, perhaps impossible. Norway and China have been negotiating such an agreement since 2008.
–A Russian nut
The Greens also represent a tougher Russia policy. The party is strongly opposed to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. Here, gas from Russia will be transported to Germany. The Greens are opposed to importing more gas from Russia, both for environmental reasons and because they do not want to increase Moscow’s influence in Europe.
The cord is finished. Baerbock believes it should not be put into operation. – We must not be pressured by Russia, she said a month ago.
The other junior partner in the government, the Free Democrats, is also against the gas pipeline. They have in their election program that Nord Stream 2 should not be put into operation before the release of the Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny.
Russia in particular must have been the most difficult foreign policy issue to agree on. Nord Stream 2 is not mentioned in the government platform. The Social Democrats disagree with the Greens and the FDP.
Right now, the operating license is being processed by the Bundesnetzagentur, an administrative body responsible for, among other things, electricity, gas and railway networks. But the case will be a major challenge for the new government.
But how powerful will the foreign minister be?
Words and wishes can quickly fade in the face of reality. It is also an open question how much influence Baerbock has in practice.
During Merkel’s reign, foreign policy was largely pursued by the Chancellor’s Office. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has lost power and significance. This was pointed out by Thorsten Faas, professor of political science at the Freie Universität in Berlin, during a zoom meeting with foreign journalists.
Olaf Scholz is experienced as Minister of Finance, but fresh as Chancellor. It is uncertain how much emphasis he will place on foreign policy.
Future Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is known for using clear language about international politics. Scholz, on the other hand, has a reputation for being conflict-averse. – His sly smile will hardly make an impression on Xi Jinping or Vladimir Putin, the newspaper writes The daily mirror.
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