About Annalena Baerbock Buch
I've seen a lot of people search for Annalena Baerbock Buch over the years. It's a book by Annalena Baerbock, the German Foreign Minister and former Green Party leadership candidate. The full German title is "Was wir wollen: Eine Manifest für eine andere Welt" (What We Want: A Manifesto for Another World), published around 2020-2021 depending on edition. It came out around the same time she was running for chancellor against Merkel's chosen successor. The book is essentially a political manifesto. She lays out her views on climate, social justice, foreign policy, and European integration. It's not a memoir, which some people seem to expect when they pick it up. If you're looking for behind-the-scenes GRÜNE party drama, you won't find it here.
Annalena Baerbock Buch - What's Inside
There are roughly five to six main thematic sections depending on which edition you grab. Climate justice is central, tied to her background as an environmental lawyer. She connects domestic climate policy to international development. There's a substantial chapter on foreign policy where she argues for a values-driven approach to Germany's role in the world. The EU chapter pushes for deeper integration, especially on defense and migration. Social policy covers inequality and gender issues, which is fairly standard Green platform stuff but written with more narrative energy than a typical party program. I picked up an early paperback copy and actually found the foreign policy section the most interesting, though also the most dated by the time she became Foreign Minister. The Ukraine situation, NATO debates, and Germany's Energytransition foreign policy angles shift fast. Reading it after she took office in 2021 felt a bit like reading campaign promises against reality. The gap between idealistic framing and what cabinet-level decision-making actually requires shows through pretty clearly in hindsight.
Where to Find It
The book is widely available. Amazon.de sells both the Kindle edition and print. Hanser Verlag is the publisher, so their website sometimes has signed editions or special runs. Bookstores in Berlin and Munich carry it too. If you don't read German fluently, there isn't an official English translation as of my last check. Some passages have appeared in translated form in outlets like Die Welt English or the German Foreign Office publications, but nothing comprehensive. There are occasional excerpts in foreign media but those are selective at best. If you're researching German politics, climate policy, or the GRÜNE party direction, it's a primary source worth reading. If you're just looking for lightweight political commentary, skip it. The writing assumes some familiarity with German political structures and EU institutions. She doesn't explain basic things like what the Bundestag does or how German federalism works. One thing I'd note that most reviews miss: the co-authorship credit is light. Monika Schneemann is listed as a collaborator, but the voice is unmistakably Baerbock's. If you're evaluating this for academic citation or political analysis, treat it as a solo-authored manifesto, not a ghostwritten project.
Get the Full Details
I also recommend reading it alongside her actual ministerial decisions post-2021. That comparison does more to reveal her governing philosophy than the book does on its own. The manifesto reads one way when you're positioning yourself as a challenger. It reads differently when you're the one signing procurement orders for Bundeswehr equipment or negotiating EU migration packages. Both versions are useful. Just don't confuse them.
