In response to Germany’s setback in the election for non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council, Green politician Luise Amtsberg is calling for a self-critical assessment of Germany’s foreign policy. According to the Bundestag MP and former human rights commissioner for the traffic light coalition (quoted by the “Rheinische Post”), this situation suggests, “that we are no longer trusted enough internationally”.
Amtsberg argues that when an increasing number of nations criticize Germany’s foreign policy stance, it serves as a warning signal that the federal government must address head-on. She asserted that the government must now take responsibility, confront the criticism, and draw lessons from the failure.
Furthermore, Amtsberg emphasized that effective diplomacy involves not just sending messages, but also proactively seeking information. Citing scrutiny over Germany’s Middle East policy, she noted that while specific criticism had been known, the federal government should have handled it diplomatically. She also noted that the absence of Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the UN General Assembly last year was widely noticed globally. Amtsberg observed that when leaders like Macron and Trump are present, but the German Chancellor is missing, “that is not overlooked”.
