WNAM REPORT: Throughout history, success has always attracted opposition from those unsettled by progress and resentful of transformation. These detractors often operate not on the basis of facts or fairness but from a place of ideological hostility and selective outrage. Unfortunately, such behavior is now all too visible within the halls of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), embodied by individuals like German MP Frank Schwabe.
Schwabe’s hostility toward Azerbaijan is so entrenched that it extends beyond our country to even include German political figures who engage with Baku in a spirit of mutual respect. His persistent anti-Azerbaijan bias has evolved into an ideological obsession, one that distorts not only his own views but also seeks to impose a distorted lens on all institutional discourse.
At its core, Schwabe’s worldview is incompatible with Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and right to self-defense. He has made no secret of his disdain for Azerbaijan’s historic restoration of control over its territories after decades of illegal occupation. Since 2023, following Azerbaijan’s final consolidation of sovereignty in the Garabagh region, Schwabe has grown visibly more antagonistic—frequently condemning Azerbaijan’s legitimate counter-terror operations on its own sovereign soil and criticizing the country’s role in promoting regional security in the South Caucasus.
Let us be clear: Schwabe is not defending human rights—he is defending geopolitical bias. His actions do not promote peace—they fuel division.
Such conduct is not without consequence. Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has rightly placed Schwabe and other deputies who voted against the Azerbaijani delegation in PACE on the list of persona non grata. This move is not driven by hostility toward Europe or the European Union. On the contrary, Azerbaijan values its strategic partnerships with EU institutions and member states—Germany, Hungary, Italy, and beyond.
What Baku will not accept, however, is the abuse of parliamentary platforms by ideologically motivated actors who seek to undermine Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity under the guise of human rights advocacy. Schwabe’s role in PACE increasingly resembles that of a political saboteur rather than a constructive statesman. His presence, and that of those who enable him, risks turning important European institutions into arenas of division and dysfunction.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has recognized Azerbaijan’s critical role in the global and regional order. Her 2022 visit to Baku underscored this, and her recent candid exchange with President Ilham Aliyev in Tirana further affirmed that a forward-looking European strategy runs through constructive engagement with Azerbaijan, not ideological brinkmanship. In a nutshell, Schwabe’s behavior represents an outdated, unproductive model of foreign engagement. Azerbaijan’s path forward—based on justice, sovereignty, and cooperation—will not be derailed by those who mistake political activism for diplomacy.
Yet, there is a clear red line: individuals who openly challenge Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereign decisions will not be afforded legitimacy or hospitality. The presence of such figures in organisations like PACE is not seen as benign dissent—it is viewed as disruptive and counterproductive. Their actions do not advance dialogue or democratic norms; instead, they foster division, undermine trust, and compromise the credibility of intergovernmental cooperation.
