The social-liberal Greens in Germany are known for their pacifist position in foreign policy. However, the Greens argued against these basic principles in the Kosovo war in 1999 and also now in the Russia-Ukraine war. In both wars, the German foreign minister(s) belonged to the Greens. It can be observed that the Greens distance themselves from their statements like human rights and their pacifist attitude, or even act exactly against it, when they enter the government. Compared to the popular parties Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens do not aim for a diplomatic solution but seek military ways to solve conflicts. What are the main reasons?
Operation in Kosovo
Before answering this question, it is first worth giving a general overview of the past and present policies of the German Greens during their time in the federal government. The Greens first entered government in 1998 with the SPD. The coalition government lasted until 2005. During this period, Germany greatly influenced international politics, especially with the "Schroder-Fischer" tandem. Joschka Fischer, the Green Party foreign minister, worked with Chancellor Gerhard Schroder to give German foreign policy a new direction. Germany focused on Europe and thus increasingly pursued national interests. Together with France, they wanted to shape Europe into an influential player in international politics.
Shortly after joining the federal government, the Kosovo war began in 1999. The attack by Serbian soldiers on Kosovo generated fear in the West that a genocide, like the one in Srebrenica in 1995, would be repeated. In order to prevent such a possible catastrophe, NATO decided to participate in the war. Germany was also largely involved in this decision. Joschka Fischer's famous statement "Never again Ausschwitz!" legitimized Germany's military involvement since the end of World War II.
The NATO mission was and still is highly controversial for two different reasons. First, NATO had, up to that point, repeatedly emphasized that the military defense pact was concluded on the premise to protect territories of its own member states. Kosovo was not a member of NATO let alone a sovereign state. NATO justified its so-called "out of area" mission by saying that the war would endanger the security of NATO countries and that it wanted to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in the middle of Europe. The second reason is all the more compelling because there was no U.N. mandate to allow an operation. This means that NATO's participation in the Kosovo war was illegal.
By participating in the Kosovo war, the Greens fundamentally broke their principle of pacifist foreign policy. Even though they later rejected the Iraq War in 2003, the Greens could no longer fully adhere to their values. In their third legislative period since the end of 2021, the Greens confirm that nothing remains of their pacifist foreign policy.
Supplying weapons to war zones
The Greens have always claimed that they want to promote peace and democracy in the world. But with the propaganda to deliver heavy weapons to Ukraine and to agree on energy trade with Qatar, the Greens fundamentally contradicted their own statement. It should be emphasized here that Green Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Green Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck are the main initiators of these decisions. The SPD led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, even if it partly disagrees within the party, is eager for a diplomatic solution with Russia. Scholz's decision to invest 100 billion euros ($106.35 billion) in defense, the cancellation of the Nord Stream 2 project and the discrediting of former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder can be understood as pressure from outside.
International and German media have had a one-sided view of German foreign policy toward Russia. While the SPD had hesitated for a long time in order to remain true to its principles, the Greens acted accordingly and fulfilled the media's expectations. This should also be reflected in poll numbers and, more importantly, the recent state elections. In terms of poll numbers, the three Green ministers, Cem Özdemir, Baerbock and Habeck, are among the most popular politicians in Germany. This popularity also helped the Greens to perform well in the state elections in Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia. While the SPD achieved record low votes, the Greens achieved their best election results ever.
Future of the Greens
The following question should be asked here: Why are the Greens increasing their votes even though they continue to distance themselves from their basic principles of pacifism and human rights? One could formulate the answer as follows: The Greens have long separated themselves from their ideal basic principles. The assertion of the realos within the Greens has led to the party's gradual rise from a marginal party to a people's party. The German public's approval of the Greens' foreign policy also shows that pragmatism rather than idealism is being advocated.
The Greens are now on the verge of forming a coalition government with the CDU in Schleswig-Holstein and in NRW. This is also a sign for the federal government, which is thus losing more and more cohesion. The SPD, which is obviously sticking more strongly to its principles, must now find an answer to this misery. On the other hand, it should be questioned to what extent the Greens' policy in the international arena is conducive to an independent German foreign policy. By distancing itself from Russia and deepening trans-Atlantic relations, Germany is inevitably moving closer to the United States. This, in turn, would lead to Germany having to repeatedly act according to the dictates of U.S. foreign policy. Germany and Europe would thus have less influence in international politics.