Germany
fails to win UN Security Council seat in major diplomatic setback for Merz
Berlin
partly blamed the “bitter defeat” on its steadfast support for Israel, which it
suggested cost it key votes in the General Assembly.
June 3,
2026 9:27 pm CET
By Aitor
Hernández-Morales
Chancellor
Friedrich Merz suffered a humiliating defeat Wednesday after the United Nations
General Assembly snubbed Germany and instead awarded Portugal and Austria two
non-permanent seats on the Security Council.
German
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul attributed the “bitter defeat” in part to
Berlin’s support for Israel, which he suggested cost his country key U.N.
votes. He added that the outcome would not prevent Germany from continuing “to
stand by our historical responsibility” to Israel.
Wadephul
also accused the Kremlin of agitating against Berlin for its “unwavering
support” of Ukraine by maneuvering to block it from the U.N.’s most powerful
body. “It’s no secret that Russia doesn’t want such a voice at the Security
Council table and has also stirred up sentiment against us,” he said.
Germany’s
defeat not only represents a diplomatic setback, but it is also likely to fuel
domestic criticism of an already-unpopular and politically weakened Merz,
particularly because the chancellor ran for the office on a promise to restore
his country’s leadership role within Europe.
Germany
has, for decades, managed to win one of the non-permanent Security Council
seats allocated to Western Europe every eight years. Ahead of the vote,
Wadephul led an aggressive lobbying campaign, personally pressing his case to
some 80 ministers or ambassadors around the world. But U.N. delegates
ultimately favored Portugal and Austria, nations that the foreign minister
appeared to dismiss as “smaller” European countries earlier this week.
The vote
also marks the latest in a string of diplomatic victories for Lisbon, which has
capitalized on its status as a neutral interlocutor between Europe and its
former colonies in Africa, Asia and South America to consolidate itself as a
major player on the global stage. Former prime ministers António Guterres and
António Costa now respectively lead the U.N. and the European Council.
Austria’s
successful quest for a seat on the Security Council similarly involved
embracing its neutrality, which is constitutionally mandated. The country
touted its lack of NATO membership in a bid to win over African, Asian and
Latin American countries unhappy with Washington’s moves on the global stage.
In a
video message posted on X after the results were announced, Austrian Chancellor
Christian Stocker said the world’s problems could not be solved through
“dominance” and that his country would fight to defend multilateralism.
“It is
not the right of the strongest that must prevail, but the strength of the law,”
added Stocker. “A country’s value is not determined by its size, military power
or economic strength: What matters is the equality of all states.”
Merz’s
domestic political opponents were quick to attack the chancellor for Germany’s
loss.
Alice
Weidel, co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, said
the defeat was an “embarrassment” that underscored the chancellor’s failure to
restore the country’s international standing.
“While
Merz wanted to bring our country ‘back onto the international stage’ at the
beginning of his chancellorship, Germany now remains without a seat on the UN
Security Council,” she wrote on X.
Even
members of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), which governs in
coalition with Merz’s conservatives, characterized the defeat as a debacle.
Adis
Ahmetovic, foreign policy spokesman for the SPD’s parliamentary group, depicted
the vote as “a gauge of how [Germany] is perceived internationally.”
The
results, he added, were “not a mere mishap, but a warning sign.”
.jpeg)
Sem comentários:
Enviar um comentário