Who's Who – Johann Wadephul: Future German Foreign Minister believes recognition between Serbia and Kosovo won't happen overnight

The candidate for Germany's Minister of Foreign Affairs, lawyer Johann Wadephul (62) from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), is an experienced expert in foreign and security policy and a well-informed observer of the Belgrade–Pristina dialogue process.

Germany's Die Welt describes him as having little in common with Annalena Baerbock, from whom he will take over the foreign affairs portfolio.

In Germany, he is perceived as a politician who is a team player and not one for grand speeches.

Wadephul has been a member of the Bundestag since 2009, and in November last year, he was elected Vice-President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Since 2018, he has served in the Bundestag as the deputy chair of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, responsible for foreign affairs and defense.

Around twenty days ago, Wadephul met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who stated that he exchanged views with the German parliamentarian on the situation in the Western Balkans, challenges, current political and security developments in Europe and the world, and that particular attention was given to numerous opportunities for opening a new chapter in relations between Serbia and Germany.

Wadephul described German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's 2022 statement during his visit to Pristina and Belgrade—that Serbia must recognize Kosovo as a precondition for EU membership—as “amateurish.”

"This is desirable, and everyone knows it, but recognition must come at the end of the process, and making such a statement in an amateurish way burdens the entire process, which has already become difficult for Serbia," Wadephul said.

He stated in 2020 that the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo would make the entire Western Balkans more secure.

"This is necessary for the good economic and constitutional development of the region. However, Serbia and Kosovo still face many difficult decisions that must be made and implemented. The CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag will support both countries because it is in Germany's security interest," he said at the time.

Two years earlier, during a visit to Belgrade, he emphasized Germany’s position regarding the "borders between Kosovo and Serbia."

"Redrawing new borders between Kosovo and Serbia is not a good idea, and regarding Germany’s stance, it is necessary for both sides to negotiate and find a solution for normalization, but we will not change our position regarding the borders," Wadephul stated in Belgrade in 2018.

In an interview with Deutsche Welle in 2018, he said that "the problem of recognition (between Kosovo and Serbia) cannot be resolved overnight," and that no one expects it to be.

"But we can talk about specific issues, about cultural heritage, about minority protection, about associations of municipalities. It is important that both sides talk and not get bogged down in unnecessary territorial disputes. These are secondary issues," he said.

During the tenure of Kosovo's Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti in 2020, Wadephul confirmed German parliamentary support for Kosovo in discussions with Hoti.

He has already accompanied the future Chancellor Friedrich Merz on many foreign trips, and German media note that he speaks clearly about Russia’s responsibility for the war of aggression against Ukraine.

Regarding his candidacy for the ministerial position, the media suggest that his office may have relatively limited influence, as Chancellor Merz is expected to be highly active in foreign policy matters.

Lawyer and Lieutenant Colonel

Wadephul was born on February 10, 1963, in Husum, Schleswig-Holstein. He studied law in Kiel and worked as a lawyer specializing in healthcare law and social issues. In the 1980s, he served in the Bundeswehr and is a reserve lieutenant colonel in the German armed forces.

He is married and has three children.