Croatia’s foreign prime minister sparked controversy after he was caught awkwardly trying to kiss his German counterpart during a group photo Thursday.
Gordan Grlic Radman, 65, simultaneously reached out to shake Annalena Baerbock’s hand and leaned on her lips during a photo shoot for the European Union conference in Berlin.
Baerbock, 42, politely offered his cheek to Grlic Radman and turned directly to the camera before laughing uncomfortably, cringey meeting plan video.
After the photo shoot ended, Baerbock took a step away from Grlic Radman and turned to speak to someone behind him, while the Croatian politician continued to look at him.
None of the dozens of other foreign leaders seemed phased by the kiss, but prominent leaders and social media users chimed in, calling Grlic Radman’s actions shameful.
Prominent Croatian women’s rights activist Rada Boric slammed the minister’s actions as “very inappropriate,” adding that “warm greetings” are not appropriate for professional relationships.
“It is clear that such a relationship does not exist here and the (German) minister was surprised by the closeness,” Boric told local newspaper Jutarnji List.
None of the dozens of other foreign leaders appeared phased by the kiss, but prominent leaders and social media users chimed in, calling Grlic Radman’s actions shameful. AFP via Getty Images
Former Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor slammed Grlic Radman in a post on Xwithout directly mentioning his name or the incident itself.
“Kissing a woman violently is also called violence, isn’t it?” he wrote.
Another local branch denounced the incident as “sexual harassment.”
Grlic Radman dismissed the criticism, claiming he was just trying to say hello to his counterpart.
After the photo shoot ended, Baerbock moved away from Grlic Radman and turned to speak to someone behind him, while the Croatian politician continued to stare at him.AFP via Getty Images
“I don’t know what the problem is… We always greet each other warmly. It’s a friendly human approach to colleagues,” he told reporters according to Barron’s.
Baerbock has not commented on the uncomfortable display of affection, but people around him reportedly said Grlic Radman was late to the shoot and had yet to say hello to the German foreign minister.
The kiss was just “a clumsy attempt to quickly greet each other,” an insider told German outlet Bild.
Grlic Radman and Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib attend an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Toledo, Spain on August 31, 2023.REUTERS
The incident comes just months after Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales received a backlash for kissing player Jenni Hermoso on the lips during a Women’s World Cup ceremony, who later said he was uncomfortable with it.
Rubiales initially defended the relationship before publicly apologizing and eventually resigning.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
