https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_flags_of_Russia_and_China.jpg
As the popularity of the German Green party has risen, political actors have gained a growing interest in their foreign policy.[1] Their higher likelihood of gaining democratic power has led political figures such as Claudia Major, leader of security and research for the Germany Institute of International security affairs, to do a podcast with Elliot Waldman (World Politics Review), during which, she explained the Greens‘ foreign policy.
During this podcast, Major explained that due to Germany’s proportional democratic system, parties pursue coalitions in order to gain majority power in parliament. The German system makes the Green party a viable option for parties to ask to join coalitions and are therefore likely to obtain a considerable amount of seats. Claudia Major explains that, concerning their foreign policy, the Green party could present a major change to the status quo.
Baerbcok, leader of the German Green party, is argued to be the perfect candidate for the stronger stance on foreign policy. Jana Pulgriem, head of the European council on foreign relations explains,in the foreign policy magazine, “She’s very knowledgeable: You immediately get the sense that she knows what she’s talking about on foreign-policy issues”. The leader of the German Green party is a strong advocate for increasing Germany’s attention on human rights violations, a supporter of a united Europe, and obviously, greatly concerned by climate change.
When the Green party started, in 1950, they were strong pacificists but have now evolved to become more accepting of military alliances. They now agree with security-based alliances such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Moreover, the present Green foreign policy is seen as relatively consistent with other parties’ policies. Claudia Major explains that the Greens would bring one major change to Germany’s status quo in the world of international relations due to their views on China and Russia.
“China is where we can really expect a change. What the Greens want is an approach based on dialogue, on what I would call ‘robustness.’ For example, they want a much tougher stance on human rights.”
-Claudia Major (Podcast with Elliot Waldman, World Politics Review, May 13 2021)
Furthermore, Claudia Major explains that the Greens are unfavorable to previous economic agreements between the European Union and the Chinese Government. They believe the Chinese government should be held accountable for their continued violation of human rights. Moreover, the Greens’ core value of defending human rights is further invigorated by the Russian case. These two countries, Russia and China, are argued to be the focus of the Greens’ foreign policy because of their continued disregard for human rights.
Moreover, the leader of the German Green party, Baerbock, has the intention of enacting her values and foreign policy preferences by opposing the pipeline between Russia and Germany (Nord Stream 2). This would further the effort of incentivizing countries that disrespect human rights to reconsider these violations.
Baerbock is firmly against the resolution of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Germany and Russia. She believes that the pipeline would undermine the economic sanctions instated by the European Union (EU) on the Russian government. Thus, she values continuity and unity between the European Union and the German government. Moreover, she is confident that Ukraine could become a viable alternative for the future rise in demand for renewable energy. In Euroactiv news, Baerbock explains that the present gas pipelines between Ukraine and Germany can be used for “ a green hydrogen pipeline in the future.”
On the other side of the Atlantic, her adverse position to Russia and China has aligned her with American policies. The Greens‘ policies present a change in German foreign policy as Merkel was seen to be reluctant to pose stricter constraints on the two countries (Russia and China).
The Germans’, by holding a more rigid stance towards the Russians and Chinese government, could be seen to enhance their relationship with the Americans. Baerbock believes that the current American administration has similar aims to the effort of the Greens. She is confident that the Biden administration will join her fight for social justice and an economy void of CO2.
Furthermore, in a recent Washington Post article, a senior visiting fellow at Germany Marshall Fund, Noah Barkin, has explained that Germany has enough influence throughout Europe to set a precedent. In other words, if Germany were to have a more strict policy towards the Russian and the Chinese government, we could see a trend of more robust attitudes from various European countries towards these two nations.
Finally, it is important to note that, as Barkin explains, Germany is a proportional democracy. Therefore, political parties often join a coalition which, inherently, demands that parties compromise and negotiate amongst each other. Thus, any major foreign policy decision will have to go through a bargaining process before becoming viable.
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[1] The German green party has had high approval rates in the most recent polls.
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