Former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet Withdraws From Race to Become UN Secretary-General

• Former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet announced her withdrawal from the race to lead the United Nations on Saturday
• Bachelet's exit came one day after a third informal straw poll showed her support had nearly collapsed among Security Council members
• Seven candidates remain in the contest to succeed António Guterres, whose second term ends on December 31, 2026

Former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet has pulled out of the contest to become the next United Nations secretary-general, ending a campaign that failed to build meaningful support within the UN Security Council.

The 74-year-old made her decision public on Saturday through a video posted on Instagram. "I will now continue, with the same determination as always, my international work," she said.

Bachelet, who served two terms as Chile's president and previously led the UN's human rights office, had built her campaign on a platform of defending multilateralism and international law, which she argued were facing serious and sustained threats.

What the latest straw poll showed

Her exit followed the results of a third informal straw poll held on Friday, which revealed that her backing within the Security Council had essentially evaporated. The same poll showed Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan holding the lead in the race.

With Bachelet out, seven candidates remain in the running to replace Secretary-General António Guterres, who will complete his second five-year term on December 31, 2026. The field could still grow, as the window for new candidates to enter has not closed.

The Security Council will ultimately put forward a single recommended candidate to the 193-member General Assembly. A formal vote by the General Assembly is widely regarded as a procedural step once the Council reaches agreement on a name, making the Council's internal deliberations the decisive stage of the process.