Germany will again stand for election to the United Nations Security Council for the 2035/36 term, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday - two days after Berlin's latest bid for a temporary seat on the UN's top body failed.
Merz made the announcement on the sidelines of an EU-Western Balkans summit in Montenegro.
At the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Germany was decisively beaten by Austria and Portugal in the first round of voting for a seat on the council for the next two years.
Germany secured only 104 votes, with a two-thirds majority of 127 votes required. Portugal received 134 votes, whilst Austria secured 131. The UN has a total of 193 member states.
Germany previously held a seat on the Security Council six times, most recently in 2019/2020. Berlin never previously failed in a bid for a seat.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has ordered a thorough analysis of the reasons for the failure.
Merz gives his full backing to Wadephul
“This time, we will prepare thoroughly from the outset with a long-term perspective,” said Merz, announcing the renewed bid for the 2035/36 and 2043/44 terms.
Against the backdrop of Sweden’s candidacy, he added that he would campaign within the European Union “to ensure that it remains limited to these two countries. In other words, that there are no further competing bids from Europe, particularly from within the European Union.”
The chancellor gave his clear backing to Wadephul and expressly thanked him “for his great commitment over the past year”. He noted that Germany’s current bid had been announced many years ago, but also very late.
The reasons for the failure are now being analysed in detail at the Foreign Office, said Merz. Wadephul and he personally had “done everything to make this bid a success.”
Wadephul says Austria and Portugal 'were too far ahead'
Wadephul travelled on from New York to Mexico to hold political talks. On the sidelines of the visit, he conceded once again that Wednesday's result at the UN had been unsatisfactory.
“But after the game is before the game," he asserted. "The next game will come around again, and the qualifying phase is just beginning.”
While analysing the causes and geopolitical factors, one factor was the late announcement of the bid, he said. “Austria and Portugal simply had far too much of a head start from the very beginning.”
Wadephul said the government has drawn the first conclusion and announced Germany's intention to stand again for the 2035/2036 and 2043/2044 terms," already. “For Germany, with all its influence, remains active worldwide in promoting peace and security, and particularly in Europe,” he added.
