A Clash at the UN: The Controversial Election of Annalena Baerbock
United Nations General Assembly: Baerbock Elected President - Attempted Interference by Russia - European Lawmakers Approve Legislative Proposal
Russia view Annalena Baerbock's election as UN General Assembly President as a slap in the face, accusing her of incompetence and extreme bias, primarily due to her past stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. As Germany's Foreign Minister, Baerbock was a fierce advocate for Ukraine, supporting military supplies to Kyiv and repeatedly criticizing Russia's aggression[1][2]. This stance led to accusations of incompetence and ignorance of basic diplomatic principles by Russian officials like Deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyansky[2][4].
Diplomatic sources ambiguously suggested Russia was behind a proposal to elect the President secretly instead of the usual acclamation by applause[3]. Although Baerbock was the only official candidate, seven UN countries, possibly in unison with Russia, wrote the name of German diplomat Helga Schmid on the ballot[3]. Despite this unexpected maneuver, out of the valid 188 votes, 167 went to Baerbock, with 14 countries abstaining[3].
Schmid had initially been proposed as the German candidate for the UN post, but Baerbock, unexpectedly nominated after the defeat of the previous German government in February, garnered sharp criticism in Moscow and some voices in Germany[3][5]. Christoph Heusgen, former chairman of the Munich Security Conference and advisor to Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU), dubbed Baerbock as an "outdated model" and the UN as a "self-service store"[3].
In New York, Baerbock played down the incident, stating every UN member country has the right to request a secret vote[3]. As the President of the 193 member states of the General Assembly, she hopes to bring together "different actors"[3].
The UN General Assembly presidency is a prestigious role, but the politically powerful UN Secretary-General position holds much more influence. One of Baerbock's main tasks will be organizing the succession for current Secretary-General António Guterres, whose second term ends in 2026[3]. When asked if she herself was seeking Guterres' succession, Baerbock gave a vague reply, expressing the desire for women to have "an equal seat at the table" at the UN[3].
Guterres, who congratulated Baerbock on her election and wished her luck in "difficult and uncertain times", highlighted the challenges the multilateral system faces, including conflicts, climate catastrophes, poverty, and inequality[3]. He also pointed out the widespread mistrust and divisions[3].
Baerbock emphasized the UN is under immense political and financial pressure, requiring adequate funding[3]. She referred to the isolationist tendencies in the USA and other countries, with the US government of President Donald Trump wanting to significantly reduce its payments to the United Nations[3].
Annalena BaerbockUNUnited Nations General AssemblyRussiaUNOBelarusAntónio GuterresUkraineWomanHelga SchmidGerman governmentVoteMoscow
[1] https://www.dw.com/en/german-foreign-minister-baerbock-putin-pushed-ukrainian-army-to-brink-of-collapse/a-58494791[2] https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-baerbock-elected-un-general-assembly-president/a-59141111[3] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-slams-us-eu-ukraine-on-european-units-election-of-german-foreign-minister-2022-06-08/[4] https://www.dw.com/en/russia-denounces-baerbocks-election-as-slap-in-the-face-to-un/a-59145334[5] https://www.dw.com/en/rsicms/do-not-expect-cordial-gespr%C3%A4che-between-baerbock-and-lavrov/a-59144911
- The election of Annalena Baerbock as UN General Assembly President has sparked controversy, particularly among EC countries like Russia, who view her as incompetent and biased due to her past stance on war-and-conflicts, specifically the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
- The politically-charged nature of policy-and-legislation and politics in general, as exemplified by the controversial election of Annalena Baerbock, often finds its way into the general-news, with implications for international relations and the multilateral system.
