Germany loses UN Security Council election – defeat against Austria and Portugal

According to observers, the late candidacy is one of the reasons for Germany's failure: Wadephul himself admitted that Germany was "at a disadvantage from the start." While Vienna and Lisbon announced their candidacies about ten years ago and secured support over many years, Germany only entered the competition later. This meant they had a significantly shorter period to convince the 191 member states with voting rights of their candidacy. Beate Meinl-Reisinger spoke of a 15-year preparation.

Late Start and Israel Solidarity as Hurdles

A second factor was Germany's Middle East position. Wadephul stated that Germany's solidarity with Israel had "cost some votes" for the candidacy. Furthermore, Russia had deliberately "stirred up sentiment against us." The German Bundestag's Scientific Services had also stated in an expert opinion that the attacks by the USA and Israel on Iranian nuclear facilities were, according to prevailing opinion, unlawful under international law – the federal government, however, had not clearly designated them as violations of international law.

Friedrich Merz, who had not traveled to the UN General Assembly in September of the previous year and was also absent during the crucial election campaign week in New York due to an internal political crisis – the election of federal constitutional judges and the first federal budget – attempted to contextualize the defeat. "We bear this responsibility with determination," he said, emphasizing that Germany remained "a reliable pillar of the multilateral system." Wadephul stated that personal consequences were not an issue: "I have nothing to reproach myself for personally." At the same time, he admitted: "The persuasive power of all those who are internationally engaged in the federal government will not be enhanced by this result."

Domestic Political Echo

Domestically, the news caused significant repercussions. SPD deputy parliamentary group leader Siemtje Möller called the result "clear and disappointing" and demanded that the federal government must "name unlawful conduct under international law as such, regardless of who questions it." SPD foreign policy expert Adis Ahmetovic spoke of a "warning signal" and urged: "Those who claim to be guardians of the rules-based international order must not apply double standards to international law." Green Party leader Franziska Brantner interpreted the result as a "receipt for a foreign policy that has lost credibility and trust internationally."

The opposition's reaction was even sharper. Left Party leader Ines Schwerdtner spoke of a "setback for the so-called Foreign Chancellor Friedrich Merz" and accused the government of remaining silent on violations of international law in Gaza, Venezuela, and the Iran war. Her co-leader Jan van Aken said on the ARD program "Maischberger": "This is what happens when you shred international law." Green Party defense politician Agnieszka Brugger described the defeat as "embarrassing" and attributed it to Merz and Wadephul. AfD leader Alice Weidel wrote on X: "One embarrassment follows another" – and recalled that Merz had announced at the beginning of his chancellorship that he would bring Germany "back to the international stage."

Vote Distribution and Consequences

International reactions to Germany's failure were not long in coming. Hessian Minister of State for European Affairs Manfred Pentz of the CDU even questioned whether Germany should continue to be one of the largest financial contributors to the United Nations, given its lack of participation in the Security Council. The Austrian delegation under Beate Meinl-Reisinger celebrated their success; Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen spoke of a "great success," and Vice-Chancellor Andreas Babler of a "strong signal of trust." In Vienna, Meinl-Reisinger rejected speculation in ZIB2 that the outcome was a punishment for German foreign policy.

According to the Austrian side, Portugal received 131 votes, three more than Austria. Both countries had submitted their candidacies about ten years ago and had built intensive contacts with UN states over many years. CDU foreign policy expert Hermann-Josef Hardt advised coordinating with other European countries early on in the future to avoid competing candidacies. Portugal and Switzerland were also in the running; Switzerland was elected to the Security Council without any opposing candidate.

Contributor Without a Seat

In the final phase of the election campaign, Wadephul personally campaigned for Germany's candidacy in New York, working on the 191 member states with voting rights for nearly a week. Several dozen governments had previously pledged support to Germany; however, these pledges are not binding. Sources within the federal government reported that they had actually gathered far more commitments than the required two-thirds majority. In the end, however, it was not enough.

According to UN figures, Germany is the second-largest net contributor to the United Nations and has already served six times as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, most recently on an approximate eight-year cycle. Germany failing such an election is a first. With the seat now lost, the government loses a forum that, according to its own description, "is often the only body where decisions on war and peace are more or less made" and that no other institution can replace.

Blockade in the Security Council

Foreign Minister Wadephul had originally planned to push for the long-blocked strengthening of non-permanent members in the Security Council in the event of an election. This will now not happen for the time being. Austrian Foreign Minister Meinl-Reisinger announced that Vienna's priorities would be arms control, protection of civilians, and regulation of new weapons technologies. She also called for greater representation of African states and restrictions on the veto power, without questioning the Security Council as a whole: "Reforms yes, but no replacement."