Annalena Baerbock’s trip to China shows her talent and her limitations
She would like to be chancellor, but it will take a lot of luck
IT WAS AN idyllic scene in Karuizawa, a mountain resort not far from Tokyo. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains and cherry trees still in blossom, a group of children struck up jolly tunes on their violins for the foreign ministers of the G7 group of industrialised countries who had just got off the shinkansen, Japan’s famous high-speed train. Holding a bouquet of yellow flowers, Annalena Baerbock was beaming. Germany’s foreign minister seemed relieved to be surrounded by Antony Blinken and her other counterparts from friendly countries. Behind her was the most difficult trip of her 16 months in the job: a visit to China.
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Germany’s turbocharged minister”
From the April 22nd 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionDiscover more
Marine Le Pen spooks the bond markets
She threatens to bring down the French government, but also faces a possible ban from politics
The maths of Europe’s military black hole
It needs to spend to defend, but voters may balk
Ukraine’s warriors brace for a Kremlin surge in the south
Vladimir Putin’s war machine is pushing harder and crushing Ukrainian morale
Vladimir Putin fires a new missile to amplify his nuclear threats
The attack on Ukraine is part of a new era of missile warfare
A rise in antisemitism puts Europe’s liberal values to the test
The return of Europe’s oldest scourge
Once dominant, Germany is now desperate
As an election looms its business model is breaking down