First learned of this at the beginning of June, but as it was not yet a done deal at the time I was asked not to mention it publicly. Now it is official: Christian Hellbach, an excellent connoisseur of south-eastern Europe, will be the new 🇩🇪 ambassador to Croatia as of August.

He knows the region well (maybe better than he´d wish for). When he served at the 🇩🇪 embassy in Belgrade 20 years ago, it was always a pleasure to listen to his political analysis of the latest turmoil in Koštunica-Đinđić-Serbia.

He later became ambassador to Bosnia-Hercegovina, then Commissioner for Southeast Europe and Turkey at the Auswärtiges Amt in Berlin, dealing with the case of arrested German journalist @Besser_Deniz and other difficult issues.

Now he returns just in time to witness the failure of EU enlargement policy and the overall regional stagnation up close. South East Europe will do its best to make him feel at home - many issues are just the same as they were some years ago when he left to Chile. Welcome back!