In an awkward rivalry among EU partners, Portugal took 134 votes and Austria 131 while Germany garnered just 104, significantly below the required 127 votes despite Berlin’s expressed confidence just hours before that it would prevail.
Both winners were seen to represent the interests of smaller countries, while Austria could benefit from its perceived neutrality as a non-Nato member and Portugal touted its strong ties in Africa and Latin America.
Wadephul’s bid won 104 votes in the UN General Assembly, falling 23 short of the two-thirds majority required for election.
This is the first time Germany has failed to win a rotating seat on the Security Council after decades of successfully securing one of the Western European seats every eight years.
„Für uns alle ist das eine wirkliche Enttäuschung. Das muss man sagen. Daran will ich nicht vorbeireden“, sagt Wadephul später im Interview mit den ARD-Tagesthemen. In der deutschen Delegation herrscht Katerstimmung. Bis zuletzt war man zuversichtlich, dass die vielen Last-Minute-Gespräche, die Wadephul seit Freitag in New York geführt hatte, ausreichen würden. Die Liste der vermeintlichen Unterstützer-Staaten schien lang genug zu sein.
The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday elected Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago and Zimbabwe to the 15-member U.N. Security Council for two-year terms starting on January 1, 2027.
Germany, which had lobbied hard for a seat, came third for the two places contested by the Western European and Others Group, with 104 votes, against 134 for Portugal and 131 for Austria.
Consistent with UNSC Resolution 2817, we emphasise that such interference with international shipping and the disruption of global energy supply chains constitute a threat to international peace and security.
Yes, but: France, Germany, Italy and Japan have previously all publicly ruled out sending naval vessels to the strait during the war.
„Ich nehme zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt keine abschließende völkerrechtliche Beurteilung vor“, sagt Wadephul. Man müsse aber sehen, dass das iranische Regime auch Russland mit Drohnen versorge, die dann im Angriffskrieg gegen die Ukraine eingesetzt würden.
Zudem unterstütze das Regime in Teheran Terrororganisationen wie die Hisbollah und die Hamas. Eine Lösung könne nur darin bestehe, dass die iranische Führung auf den Besitz von Nuklearwaffen verzichte.
“States claiming to uphold human rights, justice and the rule of law should invest their time and energy in holding to account perpetrators of egregious human rights violations, rather than targeting those investigating and exposing international crimes in an objective way,” the Committee said.
The Committee reminded States that the Special Rapporteur is mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to “investigate Israel’s violations of the principles and bases of international law, international humanitarian law and the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War … in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967.”
“Instead of demanding Ms Albanese’s resignation for performing her mandate in very challenging circumstances – including persistent intimidation, coordinated personal attacks and unlawful unilateral sanctions – these Government representatives should join forces to hold accountable, including before the International Criminal Court, leaders and officials accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza,” the Committee said.
The UN Coordination Committee – a body of six independent experts which coordinates and facilitates the work of Special Rapporteurs – accused European ministers of relying on „manufactured facts“.
„Instead of demanding Ms Albanese‘s resignation for performing her mandate…these government representatives should join forces to hold accountable, including before the International Criminal Court, leaders and officials accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza,“ the Committee said.
(February 13, 2026)
“It is reprehensible that ministers in Austria, Czechia, France, Germany and Italy have attacked the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Francesca Albanese, based on a deliberately truncated video to misrepresent and gravely misconstrue her messages – as is clear from watching her original address in its entirety.
“The ministers that have spread disinformation must act beyond merely deleting their comments on social media – as some have done. They must publicly apologize and retract any calls for Francesca Albanese’s resignation. Their governments must also investigate how this disinformation happened with a view to preventing such situations.
“If only these ministers had been as loud and forceful in confronting a state committing genocide, unlawful occupation and apartheid as they have in attacking a UN expert. Their cowardice and refusal to hold Israel accountable stand in stark contrast to the Special Rapporteur’s unwavering commitment to speaking truth to power.
Johann Wadephul und Jean-Noël Barrot werfen Albanese vor, sie habe Israel als »Feind der Menschheit« bezeichnet. Was aber hat sie tatsächlich gesagt im Interview mit Al-Dschasira? Die Gruppe »United Staff for Gaza«, ein Zusammenschluss ehemaliger und aktueller UN-Mitarbeiter, publizierte am Sonnabend eine klare Unterstützungserklärung und veröffentlichte das angeprangerte Zitat im Original: »Das System der globalen Komplizenschaft mit dem Völkermord – auf der Basis von finanziellen Interessen, Algorithmen der sozialen Medien und des Waffenhandels – ist inzwischen offen einsehbar für jeden und es hat sich entblößt als allgemeiner Feind der Menschheit.«
(February 12, 2026)
“I respect the UN system of independent rapporteurs. However, Ms Albanese has made numerous inappropriate remarks in the past. I condemn her recent statements about Israel. She is untenable in her position,” Wadephul writes on X.
Wadephul’s French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot made the same call yesterday for Albanese to resign, over the same comments.
Speaking via videoconference at a forum Saturday in Doha, Qatar, organized by the Al Jazeera network, Albanese referred to a “common enemy” that enabled the “genocide” in Gaza.
Weiter nannte Wadephul die destabilisierende Rolle des Iran in der Region, die von der Revolutionsgarde verantwortet werde. Zudem stecke sie hinter Anschlagsversuchen in Deutschland und Europa. Sie habe Blut an ihren Händen, so der Bundesaußenminister.