DW: Germany removes Manuel Sarrazin, from envoy's post for Western Balkans

With a cabinet decision, the new federal government in Germany has decided to abolish several special envoy positions, including the post for the Western Balkans.

This post was established in 2022 by then Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (The Green) to strongly support the region's process of approaching the European Union.

The German Foreign Ministry told DW that this decision is part of a new government's central promise: cutting and simplifying state structures, follows Periscope.

“The tasks that formerly belonged to the special envoy will be transferred to the ministry's respective sectors”, a ministry spokesman told DW spokesman and added that co-operation with the countries of the region will continue to be narrow and deepening, while the Berlin Process and support for EU membership will remain clear priorities.

Role mediator in the Western Balkans

Manuel Sarrazin (The Greenbridge), who held the post so far, has been a very active figure in German politics for the Western Balkans. He traveled regularly to the region, attended summits, and mediated between governments. Particularly within the Berlin Process, Sarrazin had a key role in reaching mobileity agreements within the Berlin Process. In the previous three-party government, the Western Balkans enjoyed special importance.

The new coalition agreement between the Social Democrats and the Democrats in the region is hardly mentioned. Even though with Foreign Minister Johann Wadefhul and European Minister Gunther Krichbaum Germany tops the diplomacy of two Western Balkan connoisseurs, the region failed to find room in neither the speech of the Merz song nor of Foreign Minister Wadephul, during the presentation of their government priorities Wednesday, May 14, in Bundeg.

Mixed Reactions in Bundestag

Greens MP Boris Mijatovic criticises the removal of the special envoy's post for the Western Balkans. He estimates that this role was an important political instrument to send support signals to the region and accelerate EU integration. “Sic looks like, the new government is moving away from the idea of a rapid approaching the region with the European Union”, he told Deutsche Welle.

The party's deputy co-government SPD, Adis Ahmetovic, otherwise ensures that with Wadeuphul and Krichbaum the new government tops diplomacy, figures with deep experience in the region, and the issue will be addressed in the high “ ”. “Integration of Western Balkan countries will remain a top priority for us as the SPD parliamentary group,”, Ahmetovic told Deutsche Welle.