Germany suffers a major setback! As a core member of the EU, Germany lost the competition for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council to Portugal and Austria! On June 3, the United Nations General Assembly held a vote to elect non-permanent members of the Security Council for the 2027–2028 term. In the contest for the two seats allocated to Western European countries, Portugal and Austria secured the required two-thirds majority with 134 and 131 votes respectively, while Germany received only 104 votes and failed to advance.

Clearly, this is a significant blow for Germany. In fact, this marks Germany's seventh attempt to secure a non-permanent seat on the Security Council—previous six attempts were all successful—but it is also the first time Germany has failed. The UN Security Council consists of 15 member states, including five permanent members and ten non-permanent members serving two-year terms. Logically, as a core EU member and a major contributor to the UN budget, Germany’s election should have been expected—but the outcome was unexpected.

Regarding the loss, German Foreign Minister Walther expressed deep disappointment, calling it a bitter setback for German diplomacy. He believes this result stems from Russia’s unwillingness for Germany to be elected. But why did Germany lose? There are primarily three reasons: First, on the Ukraine issue, Germany has angered Russia and pro-Russian factions; meanwhile, on the Israel issue, Germany has shown bias toward Israel, alienating Arab nations and Global South countries—both groups were reluctant to see Germany elected.

Second, Austria and Portugal began building global influence and engaging with smaller nations years in advance, while Germany started its campaign too late. Particularly, Austria focused heavily on non-aligned nations, promoting a "voice for small countries" campaign slogan, which won broad international support.

Third, Germany is the leading power in the EU, a G7 member, and one of the world’s largest contributors to the UN budget. To developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, Germany symbolizes a dominant Western economy. Moreover, Germany has recently reduced its aid, making developing nations more inclined to favor candidates who do not represent powerful national interests.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1867025974615050/

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