Her party colleague and Bonn's mayor Katja Dörner has invited Baerbock to a talk with Bonn schoolchildren, students and invited representatives of the UN organisations based here between the Green Party Conference in the WCCB and the EU Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Luxembourg. For the visibly relaxed minister, this is largely a home game among friends. Only the step at the entrance to the Old Town Hall, which is not barrier-free, almost brings her down during her spirited arrival. Otherwise, Baerbock parries all questions and criticism confidently and with clear arguments, briefly pointing out to a few students in between that there is better standing room.

Above all, Baerbock makes an unqualified plea for multilateralism: "If the United Nations had not already existed for 70 years, now would be the time to found it," she says. She sees the vote of 143 states in the UN General Assembly last week against Russia's war of aggression as an important signal: "If we accepted this method, no country in the world could sleep peacefully any more." There can be no going it alone in efforts against the climate crisis either. And that is "the greatest danger of our time“.

In this context, Baerbock expresses her "heartfelt thanks" to the city of Bonn. She said that Bonn had not only defended its status as a UN location, but had also actively filled it with life, for example at the World Climate Conference five years ago. "It is important that we continue to strengthen Bonn as a UN city. I am pleased that we are doing this together between Berlin and Bonn," said Baerbock.

In the foreign policy dialogue that followed, the Minister pleaded for moderation: "It is important that we do not promise anything that we cannot deliver," she explained when asked about reactions to the protests in Iran. More sanctions against individuals yes, the closure of Iranian embassies no. Even when a high school graduate of the Robert-Wetzlar-Berufskolleg raises the issue of indirect arms deliveries to Saudi Arabia, Baerbock sticks to her line. She is bound by the existing European treaty. But Germany would not supply weapons to the regime in Riyadh on its own.

Even though many pupils and students have made their way to the Old Town Hall in their Sunday best, the dialogue with them unfortunately comes up a little short. They dutifully listen to a representative of the German Academic Exchange Service complain about funding cuts. Other invited functionaries from the development aid sector also speak up with their concerns. There is not more than half an hour for questions. After all, Annalena Baerbock has to catch the train to Luxembourg on time to campaign for funding for climate damage and to decide on further Iran sanctions. Saving the world will not tolerate any delay. One does not notice any fear of the multitude of crises. Humanity has always grown from them, she says.

Original text: Martin Wein

Translation: Mareike Graepel