"What’s the Problem?" Croatian Minister’s Excuse After Surprise Cheek Kiss to German Female Minister

Gordan Grli? Radman, Foreign Minister, Criticizes Half-Hearted Apology
"Forcibly Kissing Women Is Violence" Also Condemned

"If it was taken in a bad way, I apologize."

On the 3rd (local time), during a group photo session at the European Union (EU) Foreign Ministers' meeting held in Berlin, Germany, Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grli? Radman unexpectedly kissed the cheek of German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who is a woman. Afterwards, he said this was "an expression of a warm feeling."

Gordan Grli? Radman (65), Croatian Foreign Minister, is shaking hands with Annalena Baerbock (43), German Foreign Minister, and giving her a cheek kiss.
[Photo by Index, a Croatian media outlet]

According to reports from foreign media such as the BBC on the 4th (local time), Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grli? Radman, during the EU Foreign Ministers' meeting held in Berlin on the 3rd, after shaking hands with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who was standing next to him during the group photo session, suddenly leaned toward Baerbock and kissed her on the cheek.

Minister Baerbock appeared embarrassed by the sudden kiss, showing an awkward smile and quickly turning her gaze to the opposite side.

This video quickly spread through social media (SNS), sparking heated debate.

Women’s organizations in Croatia condemned Minister Radman’s behavior as "highly inappropriate," and some Croatian media outlets criticized him for embarrassing Minister Baerbock in a public place and bringing shame to their country.

Jadranka Kosor, who served as Croatia’s first female Prime Minister from 2009 to 2011, denounced the act, saying, "Forcing a kiss on a woman is also violence."

Sixty-five-year-old Minister Radman said, “(When the surprise cheek kiss happened) it might have been an awkward moment,” and added, “If someone took it in a bad way, I apologize to those who perceived it that way.” The apology is considered a ‘half-hearted’ one without genuine remorse, prompted by domestic criticism.

He further explained, “My plane was delayed, so I arrived late at the meeting venue and could only greet Minister Baerbock during the group photo session, so I expressed my warm feelings. I don’t understand what the problem was. We always greet each other warmly. A kiss is a warm, human exchange among colleagues.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.