Germany has failed in its bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. In the secret ballot in New York, Portugal and Austria defeated the Federal Republic. Portugal received 134 votes, Austria 131. Germany secured only 104 votes, falling well short of the required two-thirds majority.
The result was announced by Annalena Baerbock. The former Green foreign minister is president of the UN General Assembly and chaired the session. For Berlin, the symbolism is uncomfortable: Baerbock holds one of the most visible posts in the world organization, while Germany missed out on a place in its most powerful body.
The Federal Republic had sought a seat on the Security Council for 2027 and 2028. Since reunification, it had served six times as a non-permanent member, most recently in 2019 and 2020. According to diplomats, a German candidacy for the body had never previously failed.
The Security Council can adopt legally binding resolutions under international law, impose sanctions, approve arms embargoes, deploy peacekeeping troops and authorize military operations. Alongside the five permanent members, the US, Russia, China, France and Britain, it has 10 non-permanent members, each elected for two years.
Baerbock’s UN Post Had Already Caused Controversy
Baerbock’s path to New York had already drawn criticism in Germany. The experienced diplomat Helga Schmid had originally been expected to take over the presidency of the UN General Assembly. The German government later nominated Baerbock instead.
Schmid was secretary general of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and had previously held senior posts in European foreign policy. She was regarded as a career diplomat with an extensive international network. Christoph Heusgen, the former chairman of the Munich Security Conference, sharply criticized Schmid’s replacement at the time and called it an “outrage”. Former foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel was also critical. Baerbock was nevertheless elected president of the 80th UN General Assembly.
The office brings high visibility and diplomatic prestige. The United Nations’ real power, however, lies with the Security Council. Germany will not be represented there in 2027 and 2028.
Wadephul Calls Result a “Bitter Defeat”
Chancellor Friedrich Merz issued a statement after the vote. “The tasks assigned to us in the United Nations do not change because of this result”, the CDU politician said. Germany would remain “a reliable pillar of the multilateral system”. Merz congratulated Portugal and Austria on their election.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called the result a “bitter defeat”. He cited Germany’s late entry into the race as one reason. Portugal and Austria had announced their candidacies much earlier. Germany submitted its bid only in 2020. Wadephul compared his role to that of the final runner in a relay race and said the deficit could no longer be made up in the end.
The foreign minister also pointed to the wider foreign policy environment. Russia had campaigned against Germany’s candidacy. German support for Ukraine and Germany’s position on the Middle East conflict may also have cost votes. Before the ballot, Wadephul had still sounded confident and spoken of a “basic sympathy for Germany”.
Criticism of the failed candidacy came from several parties. Green co-chair Franziska Brantner described it as a defeat for Merz and Wadephul. Germany, she said, had squandered trust on the international stage in recent months. Adis Ahmetovic, the foreign policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, called the failure to be elected a “warning signal”. AfD leader Alice Weidel spoke of an embarrassment for Merz.
Germany’s payments to the United Nations are now also entering the debate. Manfred Pentz, Hesse’s minister for international affairs, asked the Bild newspaper why Germany should continue to invest so much money in the UN if it did not have corresponding influence there. Germany is one of the largest contributors to the United Nations.