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Middle East Eye
a day ago
- General
- Middle East Eye
How Germany's former foreign minister failed Gaza - then got a top UN job
United Nations member states on Monday confirmed the nomination of Germany's former foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, as the next president of the General Assembly. As leader of its 80th session, Baerbock will oversee the work of the UN organ, which serves as a forum for all 193 member states to coordinate on international issues. Her nomination was controversial from the outset, as she was accused of snatching the job away from seasoned German diplomat Helga Schmid, who played a key role in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Germany had initially nominated Schmid for the job, but later replaced her with Baerbock, who lost her cabinet position after the February election. In her acceptance speech on Monday, Baerbock affirmed her respect for international humanitarian law and her commitment to safeguard 'a world in which every human can live in peace and dignity'. A look at her performance as foreign minister, however, does not reveal a track record of upholding human rights, but rather an utter failure on this front, amid German state complicity in the Gaza genocide. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Baerbock assumed office in 2021 with a self-proclaimed 'feminist foreign policy' as her guiding principle, vowing that her efforts as foreign minister would focus on the 'rights, representation and resources' of women and marginalised groups. Protecting women in armed conflict was among her 10 key guidelines. Yet during her tenure as foreign minister, Israel waged its genocidal campaign in Gaza, now approaching its 20th month. More than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, more than half of whom were women and children, according to local health officials. Amid this onslaught, Germany has continued to supply Israel with hundreds of millions of dollars in weapons. Between 7 October 2023 and mid-May 2025, the German government says it issued export licences for arms deliveries to Israel totalling 485.1 million euros ($554.3m), although the pace of exports was considerably higher in the first few months of the war, before international criticism began to mount. Complicity in genocide Under the banner of Germany's Staatsrason ('reason of state'), the controversial idea that Germany's national interest is contingent on Israel's security, former Chancellor Olaf Scholz led Germany into complicity in genocide once again. The mantra of 'standing firmly' by Israel's side has been repeated countless times by various German officials, becoming more painful with every step of Gaza's deepening humanitarian crisis. As foreign minister, Baerbock could have done much to oppose this. She chose not to. Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage of the Israel-Palestine war This is not to say that she expressed no concerns over Israel's actions in Gaza or the plight of civilians. Baerbock repeatedly stressed the importance of adhering to international humanitarian law, called for a ceasefire, and highlighted the need for more aid to enter the besieged territory. At the same time, however, she continuously reiterated Israel's right to 'self-defence', thus undermining her appeals to help the Palestinian population of Gaza and making her an easy target for allegations of hypocrisy. Her speech last October stands as a case in point. 'Self-defence means not only attacking terrorists but destroying them. When Hamas terrorists hide behind people, behind schools … civilian places lose their protected status because terrorists abuse it,' Baerbock said during a parliamentary session marking the anniversary of the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. As she prepares to lead the 80th UN General Assembly, Baerbock has yet to acknowledge mistakes in her approach to Gaza She added: 'That's why I clearly conveyed to the UN that civilian areas could lose their protected status because they are being abused by terrorists.' Just days before her speech, Israeli forces had targeted another school and mosque sheltering displaced people in central Gaza, killing more than two dozen Palestinians. Between October 2023 and April 2024, Baerbock held seven meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But she failed to publicly advocate for the rights of Palestinian women in armed conflict, a notion central to her 'feminist foreign policy' - even as countless women in Gaza have suffered miscarriages or watched their children starve. A recent report by an independent UN commission found that Israel's systematic destruction of sexual and reproductive healthcare facilities, coupled with restrictions on medical supplies, had caused the deaths of mothers and newborns, noting that Israeli forces had 'intentionally inflicted these conditions of life on the Palestinians in Gaza, in particular women, girls and young children' and that 'such acts amount to the crime against humanity of extermination'. Baerbock has not commented on the report. Rhetorical shift In response to Baerbock's October 2024 speech justifying Israeli attacks on civilian sites, more than 300 academics co-signed a letter calling on the German government to retract her comments and apologise. Meanwhile, an online petition calling for her resignation was signed by thousands of people. If Baerbock was serious about human rights and women's safety, then the right move would have been to step away from a government that has backed Israel's genocidal war on Gaza. No genuine 'feminist foreign policy' could be reconcilable with such atrocities. But to this day, as she prepares to lead the 80th UN General Assembly, Baerbock has yet to acknowledge mistakes in her approach to Gaza. What is behind Germany's complicity in Israel's Gaza genocide? Read More » Her government's lack of action is made even more tragic in light of the recent change of rhetoric towards Israel by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who assumed office last month. Shortly after his February election victory, Merz vowed to find 'ways and means' for Netanyahu to visit Germany. The German public barely batted an eyelid at the fact that this would contravene the arrest warrant against the Israeli prime minister issued by the International Criminal Court, an institution that Germany played a significant role in establishing. After all, his comments were nothing out of the ordinary for state officials. But last week saw a 180-degree rhetorical shift. Merz, supposedly much more conservative than his social democrat predecessor, Scholz, uttered the words that longtime critics of Germany's support for the war never thought they would hear: 'What the Israeli army is now doing in the Gaza Strip - I no longer understand frankly what its objective is,' Merz said in a televised interview. 'To cause such suffering to the civilian population, as has increasingly been the case in recent days, can no longer be justified as a fight against Hamas terrorism.' The fact that it took more than 54,000 slain Palestinians, the total destruction of Gaza, and widely circulated images of starving children, for a German chancellor to reconsider the state's unwavering support for Israel is hard to grasp. Even harder to grasp is the fact that a former foreign minister, whose government stands accused of aiding a genocide, can assume a top position at the very organisation dedicated to preventing genocide and upholding international law. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
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First Post
2 days ago
- Business
- First Post
Russia against her but Annalena Baerbock wins UN assembly presidency
Baerbock is a German politician and diplomat, born on December 15, 1980, in Hanover. A member of the Alliance 90/The Greens party, she has held several significant positions in German politics read more Germany's former minister Annalena Baerbock has been elected as the president of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, despite strong opposition from Russia. Baerbock took over the mantle from Helga Schmid after stepping down from Germany's foreign minister role post-February elections. The diplomat won 167 votes, nearly double the number required to get a majority. A new president is chosen for the largely ceremonial role every year in an uncontested election, in which countries rotate to nominate a candidate. The vote usually takes place by acclamation, but this year, Russia, which opposed Baerbock's candidacy, had called for a secret ballot, diplomatic sources told AFP. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Russia's deputy UN ambassador, Dmitry Polyanskiy, criticised Baerbock as 'incompetent' and 'biased,' unsuccessfully pushing for a secret ballot to block her election. Who is Annalena Baerbock? Baerbock is a German politician and diplomat, born on December 15, 1980, in Hanover. A member of the Alliance 90/The Greens party, she has held several significant positions in German politics. Baerbock served as Germany's first female foreign minister from December 2021 until May 2025. During her tenure, she gained recognition for her firm stance on international issues, notably her vocal opposition to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. At 44, she becomes the fifth woman to hold this esteemed position. Baerbock's election reflects a generational and gender shift in UN leadership, highlighting increasing diversity in global diplomacy. How is her election important? Baerbock emerged as a candidate only in March as she was about to step down as foreign minister following February parliamentary elections in Germany, replacing diplomat Helga Schmid, whose candidacy for the UN role had been announced last year. 'As the President of the General Assembly, I will engage in a trust-based dialogue with all Member States,' Baerbrock said after the election. 'My door will always be open for everyone.' The strong mandate may empower her to address longstanding Security Council deadlocks, potentially reshaping multilateral diplomacy. With inputs from agencies
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Baerbock to receive gross monthy salary of €13,000 at the UN
Former German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock will receive a salary of just over €13,000 ($14,794) for her work as president of the UN General Assembly in New York, The Foreign Office in Berlin said on Tuesday. The Foreign Office said it was standard practice for the country of origin to pay the salary. With the approval of the Cabinet, a service contract had therefore been concluded with Baerbock, it said. Without allowances, her salary grade, B9, corresponds to a taxable basic salary of just over €13,000 per month. The contract with Baerbock, for example with regard to salary and accommodation, is subject to the regulations for German government employees posted abroad. Baerbock's remuneration corresponds to that of a head of a large foreign mission, according to the Foreign Office. Baerbock was elected on Monday as the next president of the UN General Assembly by an overwhelming majority. In a secret ballot forced by Russia, she received 167 votes in the largest body of the United Nations, with 14 member states abstaining. Seven other countries in New York voted against her in favour of the original German candidate, Helga Schmid. Baerbock's top position is primarily considered to be of ceremonial significance. It should not be confused with the role of UN Secretary General António Guterres. The inauguration is due to take place on September 9, shortly before the general debate of the UN General Assembly with leaders from all over the world.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
UN assembly elects Germany's ex-foreign minister as next president after Russia demands secret vote
Annalena Baerbock addresses the United Nations general assembly after getting elected as president (AP) UNITED NATION: The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly elected Germany's former foreign minister Annalena Baerbock to be the next head of the 193-member world body in a secret-ballot vote demanded by Russia. Baerbock got 167 votes, almost double the 88 votes needed to win, while high-ranking German diplomat Helga Schmid received seven votes as a write-in and 14 countries abstained. Germany had nominated Schmid for the assembly presidency but replaced her with Baerbock after she lost her job as the country's foreign affairs chief in the recent election. The decision drew some criticism in Germany. When Baerbock appeared before the assembly to discuss her candidacy on May 15, Russia's deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky lashed into her, saying: "Ms Baerbock has repeatedly proved her incompetence, extreme bias and lack of understanding of the basic principles of diplomacy." Polyansky accused her of having pursued an "anti-Russia policy," which he said gave Russia reason to doubt that as General Assembly president, she would be "able to act in the interests of peace and dialogue." Baerbock brushed off Russia's request for a secret ballot. "I am grateful ... the overwhelming majority of member states have voted in favour of my candidacy, and I'm looking forward to work with all member states together in these challenging times," she said. Baerbock will replace current assembly president Philemon Yang, a former prime minister of Cameroon, at the start of the 80th session in September. She will preside over the annual gathering of world leaders in late September and anniversary events marking the founding of the United Nations in 1945. The one-year presidency of the General Assembly rotates by region. The assembly, which is the UN's most representative body, has taken the spotlight in reacting to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. That's because any action by the UN Security Council has been blocked by the veto power of Russia on Ukraine and the United States on Gaza. Baerbock said in her acceptance speech that the theme of her presidency will be "Better Together," stressing that the world is "walking on a tightrope of uncertainty" in very challenging times. The birth of the United Nations on the ashes of World War II "reminds us: We have lived through difficult times before," she said. "And it is up to us to take up these challenges." Baerbock pointed to more than 120 armed conflicts around the world today as another reminder that the UN's primary mission, "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war," remains unaccomplished. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Baerback will take the presidency as the world faces not only "conflicts, climate catastrophe, poverty and inequality" but divisions and mistrust. "Aid and development funding are drying up, and our institutions and structures still reflect the world of yesterday, not a vision of tomorrow," he said. "This is a moment for us to unite, to forge common solutions, and to take action to confront these challenges."
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
UN assembly elects next president from Germany
The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly elected Germany's former foreign minister Annalena Baerbock to be the next head of the 193-member world body, in a secret-ballot vote demanded by Russia. The 44-year-old got 167 votes, almost double the 88 votes needed to win, while high-ranking German diplomat Helga Schmid received seven votes as a write-in and 14 countries abstained. Germany had nominated Schmid for the assembly presidency but replaced her with Baerbock after she lost her job as the country's foreign affairs chief in the recent election. The decision drew some criticism in Germany. When Baerbock appeared before the assembly to discuss her candidacy on May 15, Russia's deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky lashed into her, saying: "Ms Baerbock has repeatedly proved her incompetence, extreme bias and lack of understanding of the basic principles of diplomacy." Polyansky accused her of having pursued an "anti-Russia policy", which he said gave Russia reason to doubt that as General Assembly president she would be "able to act in the interests of peace and dialogue". Baerbock will replace current assembly president Philemon Yang, a former prime minister of Cameroon, at the start of the 80th session in September. She will preside over the annual gathering of world leaders in late September and anniversary events marking the founding of the United Nations in 1945. The one-year presidency of the General Assembly rotates by region. "I am grateful … the overwhelming majority of member states have voted in favour of my candidacy and I'm looking forward to work with all member states together in these challenging times," Baerbock said on Monday. The assembly, which is the UN 's most representative body, has taken the spotlight in reacting to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. That's because any action by the UN Security Council has been blocked by the veto power of Russia on Ukraine and the United States on Gaza. The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly elected Germany's former foreign minister Annalena Baerbock to be the next head of the 193-member world body, in a secret-ballot vote demanded by Russia. The 44-year-old got 167 votes, almost double the 88 votes needed to win, while high-ranking German diplomat Helga Schmid received seven votes as a write-in and 14 countries abstained. Germany had nominated Schmid for the assembly presidency but replaced her with Baerbock after she lost her job as the country's foreign affairs chief in the recent election. The decision drew some criticism in Germany. When Baerbock appeared before the assembly to discuss her candidacy on May 15, Russia's deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky lashed into her, saying: "Ms Baerbock has repeatedly proved her incompetence, extreme bias and lack of understanding of the basic principles of diplomacy." Polyansky accused her of having pursued an "anti-Russia policy", which he said gave Russia reason to doubt that as General Assembly president she would be "able to act in the interests of peace and dialogue". Baerbock will replace current assembly president Philemon Yang, a former prime minister of Cameroon, at the start of the 80th session in September. She will preside over the annual gathering of world leaders in late September and anniversary events marking the founding of the United Nations in 1945. The one-year presidency of the General Assembly rotates by region. "I am grateful … the overwhelming majority of member states have voted in favour of my candidacy and I'm looking forward to work with all member states together in these challenging times," Baerbock said on Monday. The assembly, which is the UN 's most representative body, has taken the spotlight in reacting to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. That's because any action by the UN Security Council has been blocked by the veto power of Russia on Ukraine and the United States on Gaza. The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly elected Germany's former foreign minister Annalena Baerbock to be the next head of the 193-member world body, in a secret-ballot vote demanded by Russia. The 44-year-old got 167 votes, almost double the 88 votes needed to win, while high-ranking German diplomat Helga Schmid received seven votes as a write-in and 14 countries abstained. Germany had nominated Schmid for the assembly presidency but replaced her with Baerbock after she lost her job as the country's foreign affairs chief in the recent election. The decision drew some criticism in Germany. When Baerbock appeared before the assembly to discuss her candidacy on May 15, Russia's deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky lashed into her, saying: "Ms Baerbock has repeatedly proved her incompetence, extreme bias and lack of understanding of the basic principles of diplomacy." Polyansky accused her of having pursued an "anti-Russia policy", which he said gave Russia reason to doubt that as General Assembly president she would be "able to act in the interests of peace and dialogue". Baerbock will replace current assembly president Philemon Yang, a former prime minister of Cameroon, at the start of the 80th session in September. She will preside over the annual gathering of world leaders in late September and anniversary events marking the founding of the United Nations in 1945. The one-year presidency of the General Assembly rotates by region. "I am grateful … the overwhelming majority of member states have voted in favour of my candidacy and I'm looking forward to work with all member states together in these challenging times," Baerbock said on Monday. The assembly, which is the UN 's most representative body, has taken the spotlight in reacting to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. That's because any action by the UN Security Council has been blocked by the veto power of Russia on Ukraine and the United States on Gaza. The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly elected Germany's former foreign minister Annalena Baerbock to be the next head of the 193-member world body, in a secret-ballot vote demanded by Russia. The 44-year-old got 167 votes, almost double the 88 votes needed to win, while high-ranking German diplomat Helga Schmid received seven votes as a write-in and 14 countries abstained. Germany had nominated Schmid for the assembly presidency but replaced her with Baerbock after she lost her job as the country's foreign affairs chief in the recent election. The decision drew some criticism in Germany. When Baerbock appeared before the assembly to discuss her candidacy on May 15, Russia's deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky lashed into her, saying: "Ms Baerbock has repeatedly proved her incompetence, extreme bias and lack of understanding of the basic principles of diplomacy." Polyansky accused her of having pursued an "anti-Russia policy", which he said gave Russia reason to doubt that as General Assembly president she would be "able to act in the interests of peace and dialogue". Baerbock will replace current assembly president Philemon Yang, a former prime minister of Cameroon, at the start of the 80th session in September. She will preside over the annual gathering of world leaders in late September and anniversary events marking the founding of the United Nations in 1945. The one-year presidency of the General Assembly rotates by region. "I am grateful … the overwhelming majority of member states have voted in favour of my candidacy and I'm looking forward to work with all member states together in these challenging times," Baerbock said on Monday. The assembly, which is the UN 's most representative body, has taken the spotlight in reacting to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. That's because any action by the UN Security Council has been blocked by the veto power of Russia on Ukraine and the United States on Gaza.
