Overview
- German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has led an intensive last‑minute lobbying effort in New York to win undecided votes ahead of the UN General Assembly ballot on Wednesday.
- Winning requires a two‑thirds majority of the Assembly, which currently means 128 votes because two member states are not casting ballots.
- Germany is competing directly with Austria and Portugal for one of two seats in the Western Europe and Others group, turning a once cooperative EU practice into a head‑to‑head contest.
- Analysts and diplomats say Germany’s positions on Israel and the Gaza war, plus the fact Berlin declared its bid later than its rivals, could cost it support among some countries.
- Because the ballot is secret, campaigns rely on informal reciprocal promises that are not enforceable, and a loss would be a clear political setback for Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his foreign policy team.