Germany faces ‘tough competition’ for UN Security Council seat, foreign minister says

Germany remains hopeful of securing a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council despite a close race with European allies, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Wednesday.

“We knew from the outset that this would be a tough competition, as we are up against two other strong candidates from Europe,” Wadephul told public broadcaster Deutschlandfunk ahead of the vote.

“Austria and Portugal are very close allies, which makes campaigning against them not entirely easy for us. But I remain confident that we will be able to secure the required number of votes,” he said.

Later on Wednesday, the UN General Assembly will vote on the two available seats for the “Western European and Others” regional group for the 2027-2028 term. To secure a seat, Germany must win a two-thirds majority of the votes cast.

Diplomatic observers expect a tight race. Germany’s bid is bolstered by its heavy weight within the EU, its traditional commitment to multilateralism, and its status as one of the United Nations’ largest financial contributors to international aid and development programs.

However, Germany’s blanket support for Israel — and its reluctance to take a tougher stance despite war crimes committed in Gaza — has emerged as a potential liability that could cost it crucial votes among member states.

Critics have also pointed to Germany’s reluctance to explicitly label US actions in Venezuela or US-Israeli strikes on Iran as violations of international law, prompting accusations of a double standard.

Wadephul pushed back against those criticisms, insisting that Germany does not turn a blind eye to violations of international law and would remain a steadfast defender of the rules-based international order if elected.

“It is true that we must not apply double standards; we must uphold the same principles,” Wadephul told Deutschlandfunk. “Regarding the question of violations of international humanitarian law in the Gaza Strip, we have indeed spoken out.”

He cited Berlin’s decision last August to temporarily suspend arms exports to Israel that could be used in Gaza as evidence of this commitment. “We have also taken a very strong measure by temporarily suspending deliveries of military goods to Israel. So, it is not the case that we are turning a blind eye to this,” he said.

Wadephul promised that if elected, Germany would use its seat on the Security Council to advocate for international law and support initiatives to strengthen the UN’s role in global peace and stability.