Annalena Baerbock, A Green Chancellor Candidate “in Sync with Biden”

The aim of the “EU-US Future Forum” organized by the Atlantic Council is to develop a “new transatlantic agenda”. The featured speaker at its May 6 event titled “the Transatlantic Relationship and the Green Transition” was the chancellor candidate of the German Green Party, Annalena Baerbock. The Council summarized some highlights of her speech on Russia and China (https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/newatlanticist/annalena-baerbocks-message-to-america-shes-insync-with-biden/) as follows:

“Aggression by Russian President Vladimir Putin, such as his recent massing of troops along the border with Ukraine, stems in part from a lack of an ‘active foreign policy’ from Germany and the EU in standing up for Eastern European allies, Baerbock said.”

Further, “On the question of whether to go forward with the Nord Stream 2 natural-gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, Baerbock is a hard ‘no’…. In Baerbock’s view, the pipeline would violate the spirit of the EU’s economic sanctions retaliating against Russian aggression. ‘This pipeline contradicts our sanctions, so it cannot go in place,’ she said. ‘It cannot start.’”

The alternative proposed by Baerbock for Ukraine set up a hydrogen pipeline, in order to deliver “carbon-neutral” hydro gen to the EU in the future produced from its wind and solar energies. She suggested that the existing pipeline for fossil fuel gas simply be converted to that purpose.

The Council also pointed to Baerbock’s anti-China remarks in her speech, in particular her support for the EU refusing “products being produced out of forced labor” by the Uighur minority in Xinjiang province. “’So there we defend our human rights, our values, very strong. But on the other hand, it doesn’t mean saying there is no import/export anymore between Europe and China.’”

“This approach, she said, was similar to that of the Biden administration ‘because you have also now intensified the dialogue on the question of climate and on the other hand have [had a] strong showing on human rights and also the question of tariffs.’”

Another endorsement for Mrs. Baerbock came from the quarterly Foreign Policy, which pointed to her support for a harder stance on Russia and China, and the fact that she acknowledges that “military intervention can sometimes be necessary to end conflicts”.

“Even before she became her party’s standard-bearer for Germany’s federal election this fall,” writes author Emily Schultheis, “Baerbock was one of the Greens’ leading foreignpolicy voices: staunchly pro-European, tougher on big authoritarian powers, and focused on human rights and climate issues — all with a pragmatic tone on issues like NATO and military spending. Her worldview has been shaped both by her own experiences working in and studying international politics” — including a master’s degree from the London School of Economics in 2005, we would add.