Germany has acknowledged that alienating BRICS members was a wrong move, and the European country has promised course correction. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said in Berlin that Europe made a strategic misjudgment in the past, looking at members through one lens.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference with India’s foreign minister S. Jaishankar, Wadephul stressed that Germany is reassessing its outlook on India and other BRICS members. He admitted that Europe’s approach “was wrong,” and that led to unnecessary distance with countries, such as India.
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Reflecting on Germany’s earlier thinking on BRICS, Wadephul emphasized, “Some years ago, we first considered these countries as being members of the BRICS, and that sort of alienated us from them. And that was wrong,” he said.
The foreign minister admitted that Germany distancing itself from BRICS members turned out to be counterproductive. He explained that it overshadowed policymaking, despite many countries sharing democratic values and common interests.
“We have a lot of things in common with countries like India, like Brazil. Why not focus on these common interests and common values?” he said. The minister described it as part of the “new view Europe and Germany is putting on the world,” by siding with BRICS.
Germany Praises BRICS Member India
Wedephul also spoke highly of BRICS member India and praised its relationship with Germany. “We know where India is and that you are predictable, and that we trust you and vice versa, perhaps,” he said. The German Foreign Minister emphasized democratic governance as a key pillar of the partnership.
Apart from Germany, even France has been extending cordial relations with the BRICS alliance. French President Emmanuel Macron called to “build bridges” with BRICS at the 2026 World Economic Forum 2026 (WEF) in Davos.
“Another objective is to build bridges and more cooperation with emerging countries, the BRICS, and the G20, because the fragmentation of this world would not make sense,” he said.