Germany failed in the UN: Who is to blame? – The world

Immediately before the vote in the UN General Assembly, the Government in Berlin was convinced that Germany would succeed in obtaining a non-permanent seat in the Security Council.

But a bitter sobriety followed: Austria and Portugal kicked the world’s third largest economy out of the race and entered the UN’s highest body.

This also affected the German chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has just formulated a new German leadership ambition, for example in the war in Ukraine, but also in reforms in Europe. The search for the reasons and those responsible began immediately.

The defeat was experienced as particularly bitter because, according to information from government circles, Germany had collected the pledges of a significantly larger number of states than was necessary for a two-thirds majority.

But voting in the UN General Assembly is secret. German politics now has to live with the fact that dozens of governments have made false promises.

Israel and the USA

Ahead of the vote in New York, diplomats and politicians almost openly warned that Berlin would pay a price for its policies towards Israel and US President Donald Trump.

The foreign policy spokesman of the smaller SPD coalition partner, Adis Ahmetović, admittedly did not criticize openly, but he reminded of the international law that Germany wants to consistently uphold, as well as of controversial positions, for example those of Chancellor Merz on American interventions in Venezuela and Iran.

“International law is the foundation of the international order and must be equally valid for everyone. Where the impression of double standards is created, credibility suffers,” Ahmetović said.

And in New York you could hear that it was precisely this that deprived Germany of its votes. Mertz tried a combination of cooperation and criticism to prevent a complete transatlantic split.

In addition, Germany found itself in an unenviable situation since the attack of Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023 and the sharp Israeli military reaction, first in Gaza, and now also in Lebanon and the West Bank.

Citing historical responsibility for the Holocaust and its own influence, Germany has consistently prevented sanctions against the government of Israel in the EU.

But with each escalation of the war in the Middle East, that argument is increasingly difficult to defend, especially to many countries of the Global South – especially since right-wing Israeli ministers openly talk about “Greater Israel” and territorial expansion.

A few weeks ago, Germany abstained from voting on the work of UNRWA, the Palestinian refugee agency.

Even within the ruling coalition there were disputes, especially over the stance of the Bavarian Christian Social Union, which fully supports Israel.

The influence of Russia

In addition, according to diplomats, behind the scenes in many countries of the Global South, Russia actively lobbied against Germany’s election.

This is not surprising: Germany would certainly put the war in Ukraine among the most important topics in the UN Security Council. This is not expected from Austria and Portugal – especially since the government in Vienna criticized the “general armament” in Germany during the campaign.

After the Russian attack on Ukraine in 2022, former chancellor Olaf Scholz had to realize that many developing countries do not automatically align themselves against the aggressor, that is, Russia.

One of the arguments was that Germany, in turn, had never systematically addressed the problems of the Global South. Germany also resents the fact that Berlin was mostly silent about the controversial American intervention in Venezuela in Latin America, says one UN diplomat.

Along with that, there will also be personal transfers of responsibility. Thus, even before the election, Chancellor Mertz had to face the question of whether he had personally done enough to secure a seat in the Security Council.

Diplomats warned for months that, for example, Austria was constantly present at the UN with the entire government and its president. The government spokesman emphasized that Mertz made a lot of phone calls last weekend. But the chancellor, despite his candidacy, did not travel to the UN General Assembly last year.

What will it mean in Germany?

The failure is considered a blow to the ambitious German foreign policy, but also to the red-black coalition as a whole.

Alternative for Germany foreign policy expert Markus Frohnmeier immediately spoke of a “historical shame”, and the co-president of the Greens, Francisca Brantner, of a “heavy defeat” for Chancellor and Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful. At the same time, Mertz has recorded good results in polls so far, at least in foreign policy.

Defeat could further intensify the already tense debate about Germany’s engagement in the world.

In almost all Western countries, there is a debate as to whether taxpayers’ money should primarily be spent in their own country. Germany is one of the biggest financiers of the UN, Hessen’s Minister for International Affairs Manfred Penz (CDU) told Bild.

“If we don’t have the influence we deserve there in the future, the question arises: why should we continue to invest so much money in the UN?” he asked.

In Germany, the AfD, but also the conservative part of the Union, encouraged a negative attitude towards development aid. At the same time, Germany has been considered a model of international solidarity for years, and thus has gathered sympathy and reputation at the world level.

“But who, like the German government, is planning a significant reduction in funds for development cooperation for the fifth time in a row, should not be surprised by weaker support on the international stage,” said Lisa Dietlman, director of the non-governmental organization ONE for Germany, after the vote.