aAfter the ship docked, I boarded it. I met Captain Thilo Karski and asked the crew about their experience. What did the tour bring to the participants? Most of them had never visited the Indo-Pacific region before, but they traveled to the Horn of Africa to protect shipping lanes from pirates as part of the EU mission Operation Atalanta. Some people had already gone.
I first met Captain Karski in 2008 (when I was the German Ambassador to Kenya) on this very mission. Bayern staff spoke about their experiences during the long road trip. They saw foreign countries, participated in multinational military exercises and training, met new comrades, and gained insight into the professional environment of other military personnel.
During the long nights of the trip, there was much discussion about politics, the German Navy’s new mission, the changing requirements profile, and Germany’s growing importance in remote parts of the world. In a globalized world, attention and presence are no longer limited to Europe, and global cooperation is essential for prosperity, security and climate protection. There was a consensus on that. Bayern’s expedition was a small contribution and a symbolic step in this direction.
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Finally, the captain took all the customary formalities and bid me farewell from the ship. On the way back to the hotel, I thought about how the Indo-Pacific, rather than the West or the European Union, is likely to be the epicenter of the world’s most important challenges in the 21st century. Suddenly, a message from a German news agency brought me back to the domestic political perspective, replacing all the frigate news and insights about the importance of the Indo-Pacific region expressed during interviews in Germany.
The German naval inspector general, who was also in Delhi on a visit to India, also said in a monologue while speaking about Germany’s Indo-Pacific strategy (as scheduled for the speech and subsequent question-and-answer session): “Personal opinion” about the need to respect President Putin, who at that time was already preparing an attack on Ukraine. There was initial incredible embarrassment over the explosive statement, but it soon sparked much domestic political debate. The question was, “Which political party does the inspector belong to?” What did he know about the situation in Ukraine? Who appointed him? Why did he say these words in Delhi? What does Congress say?
Just three weeks later, Russia continued to attack Ukraine on President Putin’s orders, bombing civilians and denying the country’s right to exist. As expected, a wave of political anger was building in Germany. On the flight back to Germany, the inspector apologized for his inconsiderate comments on security and military policy, but was forced to request early retirement on the day of his arrival.
The case certainly received attention in India, but never to the same extent or in the same focus as in Germany. The media is interested in who spread this to the public, what was wrong with his paper, and why the German media devoted more space to this event than to Bayern’s visit to India. I had it. In fact, any chance of further interest among the German public in the outcome of Bavaria’s long voyage to India was for the time being lost due to the incident surrounding the police inspector.
This excerpt from What the West Can Learn from India: Insights from a German Diplomat, by Walter J. Lindner and Heike Walter, is published with permission from Juggernaut Books.
