Baerbock responds to Infantino UN rumors with provocative counterproposal

United Nations General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said that, in response to reports that FIFA President Gianni Infantino could become the next UN secretary-general, she would like to make a provocative counterproposal: the UN could, in return, nominate a candidate for the next FIFA president.

Annalena Baerbock, who is stepping down today after one year as president of the UN General Assembly, sought during her tenure to strengthen the organization, CE Report quotes STA.

When confronting what she described as “men’s power games,” she did not rely solely on substantive counterarguments, German news agency dpa reported. The aim, she said, was to “expose this men’s power game.”

“Ultimately, we cannot get very far with substantive counterarguments alone. Above all, ideas that may seem completely absurd must also be taken seriously,” Baerbock stressed.

U.S. President Donald Trump is considered a close ally of Gianni Infantino. Reports emerged over the summer that Trump could propose the FIFA president as a possible successor to UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Infantino is not currently among the official candidates. During her one-year presidency of the UN General Assembly, Baerbock advocated a more transparent selection process and a greater role for the 193 UN member states in choosing the next secretary-general. This drew criticism, particularly from the United States and Russia. The two countries recently publicly accused the German politician of interfering, in her capacity as General Assembly president, with the UN Security Council’s authority over the selection of the next secretary-general.

Photo Instagram/abaerbock