Germany’s post-pacifist generation is ready to take the lead

In the days following her announcement as the German Greens’ first-ever chancellor candidate, Annalena Baerbock said she would approach authoritarian powers like China and Russia with “dialogue and toughness,” advocating for a harder stance than many other German politicians.

She argued a common European foreign policy is crucial, saying without Germany’s influential voice on issues like the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, “then Europe will be destroyed”. And she acknowledged military intervention can sometimes be necessary to end conflicts and save lives.

If the world wasn’t listening to Baerbock before, they should be now: for the first time ever, the Greens have a chance at picking Germany’s next chancellor and will almost certainly be part of any government formed after September’s election. She and her party are betting they can convince the German electorate they’re ready to take on national leadership and bring a steady hand to governing the country, including on foreign policy and security issues.