Commentary: Annalena Baerbock's lost foreign policy

Die "feministische" Außenpolitik auf dem Prüfstand!

Annalena Baerbock took office as Foreign Minister with the ambition to pursue a values-based foreign policy . But it's now clear that her policies appear increasingly incoherent and indecisive. From a lack of stringency regarding the Middle East conflict to contradictory diplomatic decisions, there's simply a lack of a clear line. Instead of guidance and strength, Baerbock conveys foreign policy uncertainty—with disastrous consequences for Germany's international reputation. Time for a summary of the Foreign Minister and her five biggest faux pas .

1. Baerbock and the “N-word”

Both during and before her term in office, the Foreign Minister increasingly attracted attention for her slip-ups and ill-considered statements , both in German and English. In a conversation with the Central Council of Jews in 2021, she spoke about anti-Semitism and racism, in which she let the "N-word" slip. Later, she said on X (formerly Twitter) that she had reported an incident at a school in her own community. "That was wrong and I'm sorry about that" (Source: X). At least an apology, which unfortunately hasn't always been the case. This ill-considered statement raises questions about the Foreign Minister's sensitivity and preparation in dealing with sensitive topics.

2. Anti-Israel statements

During the war between Israel and Hamas, the German Foreign Office transferred millions of euros to the Gaza Strip (Source: ZDF, 2024). She increasingly made indiscriminate comments about the Israeli military's attacks against terrorist organizations in the region that directly attack Israel. In October 2024, Israel reported that the leader of the Hezbollah terrorist militia, Hassan Nasrallah, had been killed in a bombing raid in Lebanon. Baerbock criticized the attack, emphasizing that it was "in no way in the interest of Israel's security." This statement sparked controversy both in the media and across party lines. Merkur.de headlined that it was "wrong and foolish" to interpret the elimination of a terrorist directly controlled by Islamist Iran as a reduction in Israel's security (Source: Merkur.de, 2024). Baerbock's critical stance toward Israeli military actions was therefore often perceived as insufficiently differentiated and strained relations with Israel.

3. The defective plane to Australia

In August 2023, a breakdown on Baerbock's government plane caused a nationwide outrage. A trip to Oceania was planned, during which the Foreign Minister wanted to return stolen cultural assets to an Aboriginal tribe in Canberra. But Baerbock never got that far. A defect in the plane forced the Minister and the journalists traveling with her to stay in Abu Dhabi. A mechanical problem with the plane's flaps forced the pilots to take the bizarre measure of dumping the 80 tons of kerosene they had just filled up in order to ensure a safe landing. The next day, the second attempt; the same breakdown, the same measure. A total of 160 tons of senseless kerosene consumption led to the cancellation of the planned trip by the Foreign Minister ( source: Tagesschau, 2023), who, as a senior Green politician, herself often warns about climate change (source: Zeit, 2022). This incident undermined confidence in the Minister’s efficiency and reliability in the performance of her official duties.

4. 300 million euros for Islamist terrorists in Syria

While news emerged in recent days that the new Islamist rulers in Syria (al-Jolani) had committed a massacre against the Alawite civilian population , the minister pledged further financial aid for the civil war-torn country in the amount of 300 million euros. Al-Jolani, in turn, had previously repeatedly refused to shake the minister's hand (Source: WELT, 2025). The continued financial support of the controversial Syrian regime despite serious human rights violations has been criticized as inconsistent and morally questionable.

 

5. Baerbock grabs nomination for presidency of the UN General Assembly

   
   

Another move by Baerbock that has attracted widespread criticism in recent days: Annalena Baerbock is now to be nominated for the chair of the UN General Assembly . Previously , top diplomat Helga Schmid was considered for the position. Baerbock's election is to be made by the UN General Assembly in June, which is considered a mere formality . Christoph Heusgen, the former head of the Munich Security Conference (source: WELT, 2025), questions whether this is supposed to be a feminist foreign policy. A year earlier, Baerbock had emphasized that " feminist foreign policy must begin in the Foreign Office ." (source: Spiegel, 2024) To this end, she wanted to give the foreign service a "more feminine face." Baerbock's nomination for the UN chair seems like an attempt to secure a position for herself, even though her performance as Foreign Minister fell short of expectations, and in the process displaces an experienced diplomat.

But enough of the harsh criticism. Of course, Annalena Baerbock isn't perfect, but even under her leadership at the Foreign Office there were moments of brilliance . The stringent stance towards Russia and the clear commitment to Ukraine (source: Zeit, 2025) are testament to this. Of course, it is also commendable that in January the Foreign Minister made further aid to Syria conditional on respect for women's rights (source: WELT, 2025). But what does that mean in the context of an Islamist government that made it clear from the outset that it would have no respect for women, let alone minorities? The ideals of this foreign policy are certainly noble, but unfortunately also naive. But should we stay away from a feminist foreign policy altogether? Not really. The struggles of women in Iran against the mullahs and the moral police demonstrate that liberal values are necessary in the fight against patriarchy. But this realization also means a strict recognition that these values can only be freely practiced in the Middle East in Israel, but not under Hamas in Gaza. If the new German government takes office with this self-image, its foreign policy will also be successful. And if the flaps on the government plane are repaired, the remaining mishaps will also be avoided.