China and Russia are watching as the Greens oversee Germany’s foreign policy

For months the German Greens have been pushing for a great thinking of the foreign policy of their country. Now she has the opportunity to explain exactly what she wants to change.

For the first time in 16 years the Greens will oversee the foreign ministry under a contract agreement arrived this week with Social Democrats and liberals who could mean a lot to their friends and opponents alike. Relations between China and Russia in particular can be strained.

Many observers expect the foreign minister’s work to continue Annalena Baerbock, Green’s ally, has strongly opposed the foreign policy “guided by human rights and ethics”.

It can be counted as a cover attack Angela Merkel, who will resign from politics next month after 16 years as chancellor. The Greens have argued that Merkel has put Germany’s commercial interests ahead of protecting western cultures such as the rule of law and democracy.

The Greens saw the former Chancellor as the softest of China, failing to speak out strongly in the face of persecution in Xinjiang and Hong Kong. He followed Russian sanctions on Crimea and also assisted Nord Stream 2 Pipe transporting Russian gas to Germany – a project that critics say could hurt Ukraine and expand the Kremlin’s power over EU power markets.

“We need to stop [equating] German interests and German economic interests, “said Franziska Brantner, a spokeswoman for Greens in Europe, at a foreign policy conference this week.”

The terms of this agreement indicate that external factors may change.

“Chinese language is the strongest language ever in the German alliance,” said Noah Barkin of Rhodium Group, a consultant. “The preparedness to touch China’s red lines, including Taiwan, Xinjiang and Hong Kong shows the intensity of German conflicts in recent years.”

The treaty states that China is a potential ally, as well as a competitor and an enemy of order. Germany expects Beijing to take on “the responsibility for peace and security in its territory”, and any change in Taiwan must take place “in peace and harmony”. Regional disputes in the South China Sea should be resolved “in accordance with international law”.

In essence, the agreement states that Germany will align China-US policy with “working with countries with similar ideas to reduce dependence on the process”.

Barkin stated: “There is a great deal of fear among the Chinese ambassadors over Merkel’s departure and the Greens’ entry into power. . . He knows that if the new government has any problems, Europe will follow. ”

The Russian language, too, is complex. “They are no longer dreaming of the Russia we wish we had, a Russia that is about to arrive,” said Jana Puglierin, head of the European Council on Foreign Relations. “He has a very clear and convincing mindset.”

Proponents of her case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online. Berlin is set to have a “constructive dialogue” with Moscow but will be guided by the interests of its Eastern European neighbors and consider the “threats” they face from Russia.

Although Eastern Europeans are complaining about Moscow, allies have expressed strong opposition to Hungary and Poland for breaking the law – another important factor for Green. In this regard it calls on the European Commission to “implement and implement existing laws carefully and expeditiously”.

Merkel has always prided herself on the bridges she built between Germany and former Warsaw Pact countries such as Hungary. “But if we don’t have a bridge to go anywhere, how does it help everyone?” said Brantner. “We must strive to uphold the rule of law, while at the same time acknowledging the people of Eastern Europe ‘. . . clear concerns with Putin. ”

There is a lot of skepticism in Germany and outside of the new, green ideas. The Conservatives are skeptical that Baerbock, who has no knowledge of government, has taken action against Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Observers also questioned the power that Baerbock’s foreign ministry would play, in a process in which chancellors play a major role in politics. This is in stark contrast to the days of Joschka Fischer, the only Green who ever held the post and was a major figure in the German army during the Kosovo war in the late 1990’s.

“Merkel has taken action against major foreign agencies,” Puglierin said. Baerbock has tried to bring the skills back to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “but it will not be easy”. “Putins, Bidens and Xis will want to talk to the chancellor directly, not him,” he added.