German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul accepted the result with a solemn expression: The UN General Assembly had just elected Portugal and Austria as non-permanent members of the Security Council for 2027 and 2028 — not Germany.
Wednesday's decision in New York was the most severe foreign policy defeat yet for the coalition government made up of the center-right Christian Democrats/Christian Social Union(CDU/CSU) and the center-left Social Democratic Party, in office for just over a year.
Speaking with ARD television several hours later, Wadephul acknowledged as much. He even revealed that he had considered resigning in the event of a defeat, but ultimately dismissed the idea.
"I have nothing to blame myself for," said the CDU politician. He conceded, however, that the decision was "a real disappointment," and promised to conduct a "thorough analysis" of the reasons for Germany's failure.
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