Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock’s (Greens) concept for a “feminist foreign policy” met with mixed responses. The Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) criticized that it was an “incomprehensible concept”. “Foreign policy is diplomacy, not mission. If you only try to proselytize the world, you will end up being very lonely,” said the CSU politician of the Bayern media group.
In his opinion, Baerbock’s plan to “travel the world and tell everyone else what they have to do and not do is doomed to fail,” said Söder. On the other hand, the foreign policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, Nils Schmid, welcomed the plans for a stronger focus of German foreign policy on the concerns of women and minorities. “We think that’s good and we support that,” Schmid told the newspapers of the Funke media group.
“We know that in many conflicts women are not only the main victims, but can also make an important contribution to solving conflicts,” explained the SPD politician. In this matter, the Foreign Minister’s plan is completely undisputed. “The important thing will be the implementation,” emphasized Schmid.
It had previously become known that Baerbock had had a 41-page draft paper drawn up entitled “Guidelines for Feminist Foreign Policy”. According to a “Spiegel” report, the foreign minister also wants to appoint an “ambassador for feminist foreign policy”. The guidelines were “intended as a working tool of the Federal Foreign Office,” it said.
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