German foreign minister divorces – media

Annalena Baerbock and her husband Daniel Holefleisch announced their separation in a statement reported by the Bild

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her husband, Daniel Holefleisch, have announced their separation after 17 years of marriage. The couple released a joint statement, reported by the Bild newspaper stating, “we made the decision together some time ago that we are no longer a couple.”  

Baerbock, 43, and Holefleisch, 51, married in August 2007 and have two daughters, aged nine and 13. In their statement, they emphasized their commitment to co-parenting, affirming, “the most important thing for us is to ensure that our two daughters can grow up in peace and in a loving environment.” The couple announced they will continue living together in their shared home in Potsdam.  

The couple urged respect for their family’s privacy, especially for the sake of their children, and indicated that no further statements would be made regarding their separation. According to Bild, Baerbock and Holefleisch recently spent the autumn holidays together with their daughters on a family trip.  

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After Baerbock took office in 2021, Holefleisch resigned from his position at Deutsche Post DHL, where he had worked as a lobbyist, to avoid potential conflicts of interest due to his wife’s political career. He joined the communications agency MSL in May 2022, focusing on public affairs consulting. According to local media reports, a contractual clause prohibited him from having direct contact with the leadership of the Foreign Office.  

Last year, when asked about being restrained in sharing information about her private life, Baerbock blamed the “intensified Russian propaganda” amid the Ukraine conflict, without providing any further details.