When I decided to join the executive seminar, it was more out of courtesy towards the people that had put in the effort to prepare the programme. In Berlin, the demands on our time are considerable and this is not my first time in Germany – and not even my first time as Ambassador to Germany.

The programme varied and with a selection of speakers that were not only informative but also very open in their presentations, I concluded at the end that the programme does indeed give special insights into life in Berlin that help us build a more comprehensive picture of our work in this very unique European capital. As participants, we were equally frank in our questions and comments.
We spoke of the challenges that we face as (fairly new) Ambassadors. The federal system remains a challenge – not only because of its legal complexities and set up, but also in terms of keeping up with the different coalition governments, their compositions, their mandates and the main issue for us diplomats…..who do I talk to.

It is indeed fascinating to observe how the entire system works with so many stakeholders, different levels of governance, and (at times) contrasting political convictions and interests. The speakers seemed conscious of the difficulties the system poses – especially for those of us from rather centralised systems where real power (on issues of interest to Ambassadors on the ground) is primarily vested in one government and where networking and access (to government, to the opposition, to the main institutions and civil society as well as economic operators and organisations) is relatively easy. This is not always obvious or the case for everyone in Berlin despite the numerous networking opportunities and the many events that take place every day.

The contacts we made will be very useful and helpful in opening some doors– also because the visits covered a broad spectrum of institutions and organisations. On behalf of all the colleagues that attended, I would like to thank the speakers that found the time to host us. They were all extremely informative and I was struck by how passionate they are about their work.

From the sessions that I attended, apart from the special interest we, as diplomats, have in foreign policy issues, I found the visit to the Bundestag extremely useful, especially given the current composition of the Bundestag and the Friendship Groups which are also very relevant to our work in Berlin. I also appreciated the candid presentation of the representative by the Confederation of German Employers. It certainly helped put into context the many issues we read about and follow on a daily basis.

I want to thank the Federal Foreign Office, Ambassador Dr Nunn and his entire team. I would like to wish them the best of luck for the next programme, which I will wholeheartedly recommend to any new colleagues that are fortunate enough to be able to call this extraordinary city home – even if only for a few years!

Marlene Bonnici