Green Party candidate Baerbock for. pol. intvu w/FAZ, in which she accuses Merkel’s govt of “foreign policy passivity” and calls for more active German role. Intvu expands on comments during Apr. 19 launch of her candidacy and the party’s election platform. Worth a read. https://twitter.com/faznet/status/1385930775682560003

She addresses head-on where she sees a need for German foreign policy to change – especially in dealing with authoritarian regimes. This is a vision that is broadly compatible with emerging Biden admin priorities. 2/

She also identifies areas where Green priorities would have to be handled delicately with Washington.

She returns to principle of “dialog and toughness” (Dialog und Härte) toward authoritarian regimes like Russia and China. 3/

Says that in a future government, a different German approach to authoritarian regimes is central ("Schlüsselfrage").

"I would have withdrawn pol. support for North Stream 2 long ago." Deflects on question of Ukraine’s bid for NATO membership. 4/

She calls for close EU-US partnership in the systemic competition [with China] and to build together an “economic space” (Wirtschaftsraum). 5/

Brushes off NATO 2% target as no longer tailored to times, but agrees EUR must do more. Calls for stronger EUR def. integration to reduce inefficiency/duplication. (Note: leaves open possibility of more def. spending, but on basis of capability commitments, not numerical target.)

Baerbock underscores Greens’ long opposition to nuclear weapons but declines to call for immediate w/d of US nukes. Says progress would have to come in NATO context (no-first-use as possible step), and explicitly notes concerns of cent./east EUR allies re: RUS and its nukes. 7/

Comments hew closely to Greens’ election platform, remind that there are several for. pol. areas (eg spending, nukes) where leaders seek to elide gap btw party’s pacifist roots and necessities of leading EUR’s largest country in ever more challenging int'l environment. 8/

My thoughts from yesterday here:

https://www.aicgs.org/2021/04/annalena-baerbock-the-greens-ambitious-bet-that-germans-want-change-and-renewal/

Ende/The End/Fin