- International Standoff: Official Authorities Bar Access to Government Representative
The crimson tote bag of Svenja Schulze (SPD) almost sparked an international incident. The Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development is currently exploring production conditions in textile firms within Pakistan. On a Thursday, she visited a sports sock factory in Lahore.
Just two days prior, a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was planned in the capital, Islamabad. Given that she is the first senior Western government official to visit the country since their recent election on February 8, this encounter was significant.
Svenja Schulze takes a turn
However, at the official residence, security officers requested Schulze to surrender her crimson tote bag.
Subsequently, events transpired and were captured in a brief video posted by ZDF journalist Andreas Kynast on the messaging platform X. The minister consults with the German ambassador Alfred Grannas briefly. Following this, both of them turn around and retrace their steps to the vehicle. Eventually, the security officers relent, and Schulze is permitted entry into the building - with her bag.
According to sources within the delegation, there had been extensive negotiations with the prime minister's security team previously. The German contingent initially sought to bring a photographer to the appointment, as typical on such trips. However, this request was rejected by the Pakistani side.
Nevertheless, the bag acted as a boundary for Schulze. It's considered a diplomatic insult to request the surrender of personal possessions from a government representative.
Fortunately, the encounter did not derail the meeting with the prime minister, sources claim. Sharif, a member of the conservative Muslim League-Nawaz party who served as prime minister from April 2022 to August 14, 2023, welcomed Schulze for dinner in the presence of nearly his entire cabinet. The conversation, which was partly conducted in German and English, reportedly went well, sources reveal.
Svenja Schulze is under scrutiny
Germany stands as Pakistan's most significant trading partner in the EU. Based on data from the Federal Foreign Office, the Islamic Republic primarily exports textiles, leather goods, sports equipment, and medical instruments to Germany.
Schulze faces criticism within Germany. Besides the Financial Minister of Germany, Christian Lindner (FDP), calling for substantial reductions in development aid, there have also been calls to abolish the ministry and integrate it with the Federal Foreign Office.
Moreover, Schulze's flagship project, the Supply Chain Act, faces significant backlash. The CDU labels it as a "bureaucratic monster" and demands its suspension. Recently, even Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) has advocated for a voluntary commitment, seemingly stabbing Schulze in the back.
Despite the incident with her crimson tote bag, Svenja Schulze's meeting with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif continued as planned, demonstrating Pakistan's importance in Germany's trade relations. Despite facing criticism within Germany, particularly over her Supply Chain Act, Schulze continues her work in Pakistan, focusing on enhancing economic cooperation between the two countries.
