DREAM / The Prime Minister resigns and wakes up under the Parisian bridge!

 Kliko këtu për të tjera
Voxpress:

A Balkan expert becomes head of German diplomacy

2025-04-28 18:34:12Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA ANILA SHUKA
A Balkan expert becomes head of German diplomacy
Future German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz and Johann Wadephul

With Johann Wadephul at the helm of the foreign ministry, the Western Balkans can expect clear support for European integration – but also strong demands for real reforms.

With the appointment of Dr. Johann David Wadephul as Foreign Minister, Germany is moving towards a more pragmatic diplomacy. Johann David Wadephul, born in 1963 in Husum, northern Germany, is a law graduate from the University of Kiel and a major in the Bundeswehr reserve. A member of the CDU since 1982, he has built a long political career in the state of Schleswig-Holstein and has been a member of the Bundestag since 2009.

After the 2017 elections, Johann Wadephul was appointed deputy chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group for defence, foreign policy and security. As vice-chairman of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, he has been committed to closer European cooperation in the field of security and to unconditional support for Ukraine. Regarding transatlantic relations and the changed US policy under President Donald Trump, Wadephul has said: "We must keep our hand outstretched, be ready for negotiations, but we must ensure that we can defend ourselves if the negotiations do not go well."

More prudent and pragmatic diplomacy

"Unlike Annalena Baerbock, Wadephul will follow a more restrained, pragmatic and results-oriented style," Hans-Joachim Falenski, a former foreign policy adviser in the CDU/CSU group and one of his closest associates until 2021, told Deutsche Welle.

An example of this approach was seen in 2022, when Wadephul openly criticized Chancellor Olaf Scholz for his first official visit to the Balkans. Scholz publicly demanded in Belgrade that Serbia recognize Kosovo's independence, a statement that Wadephul called "amateurish", since, according to him, such demands should be addressed with diplomatic caution so as not to block the dialogue. Wadephul also criticized the fact that the German Chancellor went first to Pristina and then to Belgrade.

A knowledgeable and attentive follower of the region

Kolë Gjoka, Albania's Honorary Consul in Hamburg and a former candidate for the Bundestag from the CDU in Schleswig-Holstein, has worked closely with Wadephul in the party structures of this state. He tells DW: "Wadephul has been the best foreign policy expert in the CDU/CSU for years and a supporter of strengthening Europe's role in global politics." Gjoka, who has been on the state's list as a candidate for the Bundestag since 2017, believes that Wadephul "will have a great influence on the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue and will be an extraordinary supporter on Albania's path to EU membership."

For years, Wadephul has led the Working Group on the Western Balkans in the Bundestag, a cross-sectoral platform that brings together specialized deputies to follow developments in the region. This group also included Gunther Krichbaum, who has now been appointed State Secretary for European Affairs in the Foreign Ministry, a post previously held by Anna Lührmann, from the Greens. With this new structure, it is expected that the Western Balkans will remain a priority for German diplomacy – but always linked to the fulfillment of standards and reforms.

Integration into the EU, but on the basis of merit

Both Wadephul and Krichbaum are figures who have been outspoken about domestic politics in Albania without hesitating to speak out about the internal political conflicts of their sister party, the Democratic Party of Albania. For example, just a few months ago, Krichbaum condemned the PD's violent protests in Tirana and criticized its leader Sali Berisha, stressing that "a healthy democracy needs a strong and peaceful opposition that is consistent with European values." He also suggested that the Democratic Party elect a new leader to restore its credibility and pro-European orientation.

"They are the main architects of the additional conditions that the Bundestag set in 2019 for the opening of Albania's EU membership negotiations. Wadephul told DW: We set some preconditions that cost me a lot of work and energy, and if they are not met, then I will have a hard time convincing my parliamentary group colleagues to positively accompany the process." This approach to conditions is expected to be followed in the future. "Legal reforms, the fight against corruption and the strengthening of institutions, especially in Albania, will remain key criteria for the European integration process," says Falenski.

Mijatovic: Do not pave the way for authoritarian regimes

A peculiarity accompanies Wadephul's appointment as Foreign Minister: for the first time in almost 60 years, the German Foreign Ministry is back in the hands of the CDU. Historically, this post has usually been left to coalition partners. Now, both the Chancellery and the Foreign Ministry are headed by the same party – the CDU.

Opposition politician Boris Mijatović, a Balkans expert in the Greens and a party colleague of former Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, sees a problem here. He warns that the weight and independence of German foreign policy could be weakened, as incoming Chancellor Friedrich Merz is expected to take a more active role in international affairs and concentrate more powers in his office.

From Wadephuli as foreign minister, Mijatović expects him to advocate for the rule of law, democracy and a clear European perspective for the Western Balkan countries. "Germany must openly stand on the side of democratic forces in the region and not pave the way for authoritarian regimes to the European Union," he told Deutsche Welle. /DW


Në përputhje me standarded JTI

Video

SHIKO KANALIN NE YOUTUBE
×