Half-time result

Sociologist Wolf Lepenies is a permanent fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Berlin.

DW: Mr. Lepenies, Germany's comeback to the United Nations Security Council in October 2010, after six years of absence, was expected to give a boost to national morale. Has Germany acted as a global player, or more like a guest?

Wolf Lepenies: In terms of the economy, Germany is already a global player, but that probably isn't always the case on the political stage. In any case, I don't think Germany's presence on the Security Council has had much of an effect on Germans' morale. Our role on the council was only seen and discussed in connection to the Libya question.

In March 2011, Germany surprised many when it broke rank with its Western allies and sided with Russia and China against military intervention in Libya.

It was really impressive to see how much we got off on the wrong foot. Even today, it is still unforgivable that Germany did not support the Western alliance. But the decision didn't have an effect on the mood in Germany until it became clear that we had isolated ourselves in an embarrassing manner. Tactically, it was not clever. Multilateral alliances are imperative in the world we live in, and we cannot depend on NATO alone.

Could Germany still leave a positive mark during the year it has left on the council?

I don't think so, and the reason is Germany's Free Democratic Party. Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and [Vice-Chancellor] Philipp Rösler, [FDP party leaders], are in a weak position. Incidentally, it might be quite a good thing if [Chancellor Angela] Merkel gave her foreign minister a bit more latitude.

Would a permanent seat on the Security Council considerably increase Germany's international standing?

A permanent seat would be an advantage, but no more. What is still crucial is our relationship to the United States. The question of a permanent seat, in my view, is not so important for Germany. Angela Merkel's foreign policy is already taken notice of internationally. When it comes to key issues, the chancellor always finds allies; she enjoys an excellent international reputation. Her foreign policy is perhaps clearer than her domestic policies. In short, my assessment is that any role Germany can and must fill internationally, it can fill without a seat on the Security Council. If Germany should get a permanent seat, all the better.

What's the best example of Germany's foreign policy work over the last year?

Merkel's political role in Europe is internationally understood and earns us broad support. Right now she seems to be succeeding in getting through a revision to the Treaty of Rome [which established the European Economic Community, the European Union's predecessor]. That's a considerable accomplishment that even the United States would welcome.

A permanent seat is not a high-priority goal, unlike it is for, say, India, which will never become a member of a South-Asian Union or similar. An important foreign-policy goal for our international standing would be for Germany to lead the 27 EU members firmly but without arrogance to greater unity. That would be the greatest accomplishment we could achieve. Then Europe could really be an important global player politically, with Germany filling an important role at its core. Germany will only receive international standing as part of a unified Europe. It won't work otherwise.

Interview: Johanna Schmeller / dl
Editor: Toma Tasovac