Schroeder, Germany and the UN

This theme has come even more dramatically to the foreground following the recent events in the Balkans and was the subject of an interview published on June 6 in Welt am Sonntag and released by Gerhard Schroeder, upon his return from the European Council meeting in Köln. The interviewer asked the Chancellor, in the light of Germany’s role to end the Kosovo conflict, what his position would be should Germany receive a renewed proposal to hold a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. Mr Schroeder’s reply was "This is not a priority issue in German politics". He added: should Germany receive the offer of a permanent seat, "we will favour a contextual solution on a European level".

The prospect of a unified foreign and security policy in the bosom of the European Union, which seems to be near, has moved the present German Government to give up its claim for a permanent seat on the Security Council. European Union entry will open way to the transformation of this organism in the Council of the great world regions. This will be the only manner to entitle all nations to be represented in the Security Council through their respective regional organisations (c.f.).