At the end of a four-year term marked by profound geopolitical transformations and the strengthening of bilateral relations, Germany’s ambassador to Bucharest, Peer Gebauer, reflects in an interview for CaleaEuropeană.ro on the most important milestones of his diplomatic activity in Romania, especially highlighting the strategic relationship between the two countries and their increasingly close ties in the European and transatlantic context. The interview was conducted shortly after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit to the White House—a meeting with strong symbolic and political significance, which Ambassador Gebauer explained from a diplomat’s perspective, while also reviewing the main markers of his mandate, which began before Russia’s aggression in Ukraine: Romania’s accession to the Schengen area, the impressive growth of Romanian-German bilateral political dialogue at all levels, and cooperation in strategic fields such as defense and energy.
Speaking about the moment in the Oval Office, Gebauer remarked that “the visit was very successful” and “sent a strong message, namely that Germany and the United States have long been close partners and allies.”
He noted the symbolic gesture by which the German chancellor offered President Trump a copy of his German grandfather’s birth certificate, considering it “a powerful sign of closeness, of partnership,” which was highly appreciated by the American leader.
Regarding Romanian-German bilateral relations, the ambassador emphasized that his term was “marked by this geopolitical shift,” but also by “extremely positive developments in bilateral relations.”
Gebauer noted an unprecedented intensification of high-level contacts and political dialogue, stating: “In the past four years, we have witnessed an impressive increase in exchanges at all political levels.”
A turning point was, without a doubt, the support for Romania’s accession to the Schengen area.
“Personally, I am proud that we managed to bring Romania into the Schengen area. It is something well-deserved and long overdue… It was unwise and unfair to keep these two countries out of the family for so long,” he said, also referring to Bulgaria.
At the same time, Gebauer emphasized the development of closer cooperation in defense and the defense industry, calling it “a necessity” in the current geopolitical context. “Partnerships with the German industry are, in my view, a wonderful solution”, he underlined.
On the economic front, the ambassador noted the continuity and deepening of the bilateral economic relationship, emphasizing that “this has been a success story, not only for Romania but also for Germany.”
He indicated that the future of cooperation will focus on strategic areas such as defense, energy, and digitalization. “We have a common interest in maintaining the security of our continent… and in making Europe a continent that drives and leads innovation”, the German diplomat emphasized.
Regarding the prospects under the new political leadership in Berlin and Bucharest, Gebauer expressed optimism. “Chancellor Merz and President Dan have a wonderful opportunity to join forces… and to continue on the path already set, that of intensifying cooperation”, he said.
The ambassador concluded by recalling his deep connection to Romania, built over the four years of his mandate.
“I will miss Romania, and I will miss the Romanian people… I feel a great closeness to Romania and Romanians, because their mindset is one I feel very connected to”, he concluded.
CaleaEuropeană.ro: Mr. Ambassador, your diplomatic tenure started before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Romania far away from being a Schengen member, but with a pro-European stance, to name a few examples that we had in the last four to five years. But before moving to the most important moments of your mandate, I would like to take the opportunity to mention that the moment we are having this interview is just after Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz was in Washington. Today, when we are recording, it is D-Day, an important moment for Europe, but also for Germany, becoming once again a democratic power and a power that leads the European Union. And I would like to start by perhaps decrypting a bit what happened in the Oval Office. We know that Chancellor Merz had the gesture of offering President Trump a framed copy of his grandfather’s German birth certificate, which was a powerful symbol that put an emphasis on the U.S. President’s European origins. The meeting also touched upon complex historical legacies, such as the different perspectives on D-Day and remarks about German rearmament, when President Trump quoted General MacArthur. When a diplomat might be asked to take some conclusions and takeaways from this Oval Office meeting, what would those be?
Peer Gebauer: Thank you so much for the opportunity to exchange. Of course, this visit is one that makes headlines today. We feel it was a very successful visit. It sent a strong message that Germany and the U.S. are close partners and allies and have been for a long time, and that it is in both our interests to continue this close partnership. We are linked when it comes to security, when it comes to the economy, and while it is obvious that there are a lot of issues to discuss, that there are sometimes different positions, the visit was meant to highlight the fact that despite differences in some areas, we are partners, we are allies, and I think in this regard the visit went very well.
It is also about symbolic gestures. Donald Trump has German roots, and it was therefore a strong sign of closeness, of partnership, to hand over this wonderful gift, the birth certificate of his grandfather. I think it was a wonderful gesture, and we have seen, we have all followed, of course, how appreciated it was by President Trump. I think overall the two leaders matched very well. They, of course, made their positions clear, also our Chancellor, when it comes to Ukraine, when it comes to clearly addressing who is the aggressor, and that’s Russia. So in this sense, I think it was also important to exchange and to liaise, but it is a very, very important base to jointly tackle the challenges that now lie ahead of us, which are, on the one hand, the situation in Ukraine, the terrible aggression of Russia, the continuous aggression of Russia against Ukraine, and the threat to Europe overall in this regard, and secondly, of course, the issue of trade, of economic partnership, where we have, I think, seen a clear statement also from our Chancellor that there is a joint interest in binding us closer together by finding a solution in the trade dispute.
CaleaEuropeană.ro: As Germany’s top diplomat here in Romania, the EU and NATO country with the longest border with the conflict that Russia caused in Ukraine, we want to look back at your tenure as a diplomat here, and what do you consider to be the most important milestones in the German-Romanian relations in these years?
Peer Gebauer: For me as a diplomat, as the German Ambassador to Romania, it was really a great privilege to be here in these last four years, because these last four years have brought with them a number of challenges. Foremost, of course, the Russian aggression, which directly affects also this neighbourhood and Romania, which, as you have rightly described, has the longest land border of any EU country to Ukraine, and is being directly affected by refugee flows or when it comes to supporting Ukraine in many respects. So during my tenure here, my mandate here, the last four years have been marked by this geopolitical change. And as I’ve said, it has also been a privilege to be here because a number of very positive developments have taken place in the bilateral framework of Germany and Romania.
Romania has been an EU and NATO ally for a long time already, but the years before 2021, maybe the focus of Germany and other Western European countries on this region was not as high as it should have been, and as it had been deserved over the years before. But now this has changed. We have seen in the last four years a very impressive increase in exchanges on all political levels.
For Germany, we have seen two visits of our Federal Presidents, two visits of our then Federal Chancellor, two visits of our then Foreign Minister, a number of leaders from the federal states, parliamentarians, and other ministers. This is unheard of, unseen when it comes to German-Romanian relations before 2021.
CaleaEuropeană.ro: And actually, you were the first ambassador since maybe ever that was a German ambassador in Romania under three chancellorships. Mrs. Merkel, Mr. Scholz, and now Mr. Merz.
Peer Gebauer: Well, that might be true. One would have to look that up. I don’t think I can take any credit for that, but you’re right. I mean, it’s been an interesting time also for Germany domestically. And for Romania as well. But the good news is, despite having had three different chancellors, I think the focus, the perception of Romania has been very steady over the last four years with German politicians and Berlin, in a sense, the “political“ Berlin, having a very well and even better understanding now how important it is to have this partnership with Romania.
Why? Because of its geography, being located where it is located. But second of all, because of the stance and the approach Romania has taken in the international arena, in Brussels, in NATO and the EU framework, always being a reliable partner, one partner always focusing on a joint solution, not trying to block, veto or spoil the development of a joint position, but on the contrary, being always constructive. And this is something that needs to be appreciated and that is now appreciated much more than before.
CaleaEuropeană.ro: If you were to rank maybe three of them, what are the most important bilateral initiatives or agreements, also at the EU and NATO level, that you are most, let’s say, proud of?
Peer Gebauer: Well, I take pride in the fact that I had the privilege to be part of this development of a close political partnership that was not there four years ago. Of course, I cannot take credit for the geopolitical framework we’re working in, but I’m really proud to have been part of this building up of an even more intense and close political partnership, highlighted by these high-ranking visits, but also by a much closer coordination on political issues.
So this is certainly a highlight. What I take pride in personally, is the fact that we have managed to bring Romania into the Schengen area. That’s been something well-deserved and overdue for a long time, we all agree, but there has been some hesitancy from a number of countries before. And also Germany was not always the staunchest supporter of a speedy accession because there was the perception that there need to be some reforms done first. That there need to be some reforms done first in the judiciary field or when it comes to fighting corruption. So I think it has been one of the most important decisions of these last years on a European level to finally get Romania and Bulgaria in, because Romania and Bulgaria are part of the European family. It’s been unwise and unfair to keep these two countries out of the family for so long. And I’m really happy that it worked out despite it having taken quite a long time. So this is something that has been also part of my mandate here.
What I also take pride in, what I’m also very pleased to see, is that we have started a process of even closer cooperation on military and defence industry areas.
That’s a need, it’s a must in the geopolitical framework we are in. Romania has a very long-standing and rich tradition in defence industry. But, of course, now there is room for restarting it or kicking it off again, and that’s where partnerships with German industry are a wonderful solution, I feel. And that’s why we are working in that area very well. So we see a trend towards a closer cooperation in the defence industry field, which I’m very proud of.
CaleaEuropeană.ro: We also know that Germany is Romania’s top economic partner, and how has this economic partnership between our countries evolved in the last years, and what do you think will be Germany’s future investment priorities in Romania in sectors like energy, digital, and military industry, as you mentioned?
Peer Gebauer: Yes, we’ve seen over the last decades, I might say, a steady increase in our economic partnership. Germany is de facto the biggest investor here in this country when it comes to the origin of the investment, in addition to Germany being by far the largest trading partner for Romania, and German companies providing numerous jobs in this country. So this has been a success story, not only for Romania, but for Germany and for German companies, a mutually beneficial partnership. We have seen this trend continue in the last years. Now we are in a situation, in both our countries and the whole continent and the whole world, I might say, where we also face a number of challenges.
But the economic partnership over the last decades has always evolved and developed. That’s very necessary, and you’ve rightly pointed out some areas where we’ll see in the future an even broader cooperation in defence industry, energy, and digitalisation, which is good. A lot of areas, all these areas are areas where Romania has a lot to offer. And that’s why I do sense that we will see, again, a bit of an adaptation in the fields of cooperation, but a continuous growth in this regard. We do need to make sure that the international global framework stays a positive one, which is not too easy, because given, as I’ve mentioned before, the trade disputes and the raising of tarrifs, this will make our lives in Europe a lot more difficult. And at the same time, we see high deficits in a number of countries, also Romania is of course challenged by this, which also limits the possibilities to have an active fiscal policy approach. So the challenges are there, but overall we know and we understand, as Germans and Romanians, that there’s only one way forward, which is even more economic cooperation in Europe. I think this is what makes us strong. And the more difficult the times are, the more important it is to join forces. So I can only warn that those voices pursuing a course of renationalisation, or isolation, will not do any good to any country. We in Europe are strong because we have one another.
CaleaEuropeană.ro: But moving on from this last point that you mentioned, I have to stress that now in Berlin and Bucharest we have new leaderships in town, Chancellor Merz in Berlin, President Dan in Romania. What role do you see for Romania and Germany under these new leaderships in shaping the future of the European Union?
Peer Gebauer: Both leaders will have a wonderful opportunity to continue on the path, that has already been set and that I’ve described over the last year, of intensifying the cooperation. Both are from the same political family, if you like, and share a number of beliefs and convictions and values. So I think there’s a wonderful potential for further intensifying the bilateral cooperation. For the good of the two countries, but for the good of Europe at the same time. Again, we share an interest in keeping our continent safe. We share an interest in keeping our continent economically sound and stable and to make Europe a continent that is driving and leading innovation, that is not just trying to secure what has been there in the past, but is actually focusing on developing new value and new prosperity. We do sing from the same sheet, so to speak, and that’s where Chancellor Merz and President Dan have a wonderful opportunity to join forces.
CaleaEuropeană.ro: When you began your mandate, Romania was a country, of course, known for its pro-European stance that we all know, but it’s mostly known because of being a welcoming and a very tolerant country. We had a president from a German minority, and you were also the ambassador of Germany to Romania when we succeeded in our most important performance at the European Championship for 24 years. So what surprised you the most when you arrived here in Romania, and what will you miss the most about this country?
Peer Gebauer: To start with the second part, I will miss many, many things, a lot of things. I will miss Romania and Romanians, with this country being so beautiful when it comes to nature, landscape, and a broad variety of different areas that I’ve all, at least many of them, visited, and I really enjoyed having stayed here. And I will miss the people. I do feel a great closeness to Romania and Romanians, because the mentality is one that I very much connected to. How would I describe it? It’s about a very direct exchange, free of hierarchical boundaries. You know, you don’t have to worry about whom do I contact, how. It’s more a culture of sending a WhatsApp here and there, not worrying about the level or the rank. So this is something, this direct communication style, is something that resonates with me, that I very much like. And I will miss that kind of friendly exchange and jointly working on these important issues that connect us.
I will, of course, hopefully in the future, often have the opportunity to travel back and come back and visit my friends here, which I will certainly do. But there are a number of areas that I will certainly miss.
What did surprise me, to come back to the first part of your question? I was not a Romania expert before coming here, I have to say. And there were certainly many discoveries. Not in the sense that I didn’t know this or wasn’t aware of it, but in a different sense. To give you one example, both countries are connected by the German minority, which has been here for centuries.
Of course, I knew before that there were the Saxons and the Swabians and other groups, but I wasn’t really aware of what they meant for the country and what they do today. And it’s something I experienced, and I was very positively impressed and surprised, if you like, by seeing that despite the number of Germans in Romania being significantly lower than it has been historically, there is still a great connection between the minority and the Romanians as such, that there is no suspicion of the minority, of the German minority, not being loyal to Romania, but on the contrary, an acknowledgement of the contribution of this minority to the development of a modern Romania.
This is something I very much cherish, and wherever I travelled in this country, of course, I also made sure to stop by the local German community, and those were always fun and interesting exchanges I had there.
CaleaEuropeană.ro: Thank you. One final question, Ambassador. As we mentioned, after your tenure, we have Romania in Schengen, we have Romania moving to OECD, we have this economic, energy, also military partnership. You came here when, as we mentioned, the pro-European position of this country was strong. We experienced some turbulent extremists, isolationists, based on disinformation, and now we are back on our, let’s say, European track or path. What advice would you give to your successor when he or she comes here to Romania?
Peer Gebauer: I think my successor, first of all, will have a wonderful time, and I can only congratulate her — it will be a woman — on assuming this position here, because she will enjoy all the advantages and the beauties that I’ve described in terms of the beauty of the country, the fantastic cooperation and collaboration we have with the Romanian government and Romanian authorities, and of course meeting Romanians all across the country. So she is, first of all, to be congratulated. I wouldn’t give any specific advice in the sense that you have to do this or that, because every diplomat has a certain personal style and experience, and I feel there is no need for me to give any good advice here. But the only advice I would give is to enjoy. This is a wonderful position, I couldn’t think of any better one.
