Germany suffered a bitter defeat in the election of non-permanent members of the UN Security Council in New York. Austria and Portugal, meanwhile, are celebrating their success. Reactions in German politics are stark: the outcome is described as a ‘blamage’, ‘quittung’ and ‘defeat’, according to Deutschlandfunk.
Criticism is directed in particular at CDU leader Friedrich Merz and the foreign policy spokesman of the Union parliamentary group, Johann Wadephul. The failed candidacy is seen as a serious setback for German foreign policy. EuroPulse reported on June 2, 2026, about Merz’s call for radical reforms, arguing that Germany had ‘become too expensive’ (https://europulse.today/merz-deutschland-zu-teuer-reformen-gefordert/).
Source: www.deutschlandfunk.de
