Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić-Radman found himself at the center of a media storm following a controversial incident at an EU conference in Berlin. While posing for a group photograph, he attempted to kiss his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, prompting outrage from feminist groups and politicians.
Caught on video, the footage shows the 65-year-old Radman reaching out to shake Baerbock’s hand and attempting a kiss on her cheek, an affectionate gesture that Baerbock evaded.
Grlić-Radman, a member of Croatia’s largest political party, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), and a close ally of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, has defended his actions, asserting that he intended no harm and has apologized if he made Baerbock uncomfortable.
However, the incident drew sharp criticism from women’s rights activist Rada Boric, who called it “highly inappropriate” and stressed that such greetings should be reserved for those with appropriate relationships.
In a brief overview of Gordan Grlić-Radman, he is a Croatian diplomat and politician who has served as Minister of Foreign and European Affairs since July 2019.
Born in Tomislavgrad, Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1958, he studied agriculture at the University of Zagreb and later worked in business in Switzerland before joining the Croatian diplomatic service in 1991.
Grlić-Radman has held several senior positions in the Croatian Foreign Ministry, including serving as Ambassador to Hungary and Ambassador to Germany. He is also the President of the Danube Commission, an intergovernmental organization responsible for regulating and promoting navigation on the Danube River.
Caught on video, the footage shows the 65-year-old Radman reaching out to shake Baerbock’s hand and attempting a kiss on her cheek, an affectionate gesture that Baerbock evaded.
Grlić-Radman, a member of Croatia’s largest political party, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), and a close ally of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, has defended his actions, asserting that he intended no harm and has apologized if he made Baerbock uncomfortable.
However, the incident drew sharp criticism from women’s rights activist Rada Boric, who called it “highly inappropriate” and stressed that such greetings should be reserved for those with appropriate relationships.
In a brief overview of Gordan Grlić-Radman, he is a Croatian diplomat and politician who has served as Minister of Foreign and European Affairs since July 2019.
Born in Tomislavgrad, Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1958, he studied agriculture at the University of Zagreb and later worked in business in Switzerland before joining the Croatian diplomatic service in 1991.
Grlić-Radman has held several senior positions in the Croatian Foreign Ministry, including serving as Ambassador to Hungary and Ambassador to Germany. He is also the President of the Danube Commission, an intergovernmental organization responsible for regulating and promoting navigation on the Danube River.