Germany’s outgoing government has nominated former Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock to serve as Germany’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, replacing veteran diplomat Helga Schmid.
The decision has stirred debate in Berlin and among foreign policy experts.
Helga Schmid, born in 1960, is widely respected for her decades-long career in diplomacy.
She served as chief-of-staff to former Green Party foreign minister Joschka Fischer between 1998 and 2005 and played a central role in negotiating the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement.
In recent years, she has led the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), where she helped maintain the institution’s stability during turbulent times. Many expected her to assume the UN role.
Instead, the caretaker government nominated Baerbock in March. At the time, she promised to act as an honest broker and unifier for all 193 UN member states.
During her final foreign trip as minister, she underlined her commitment to defending Europe’s peace order, the UN Charter, and Germany’s constitution.
The move drew sharp criticism. Christoph Heusgen, former chairman of the Munich Security Conference, called it outrageous to sideline Germany’s most seasoned diplomat in favor of a politician nearing the end of her ministerial term.
Baerbock defended her selection by pointing to her international experience from December 2021 to May 2025, including extensive travel to the Middle East, which she said strengthened ties with Gulf states and Arab partners.
Her appointment also comes as Robert Habeck, former vice chancellor and fellow Green Party leader, retires from politics to teach in Copenhagen.
With both Baerbock and Habeck moving on from domestic leadership, the Greens face the task of reshaping themselves in opposition.