Germany failed on Wednesday for the first time to secure a seat on the U.N. Security Council, with Portugal and Austria receiving more votes for the two Western European spots starting in 2027.
Germany was outpolled by rivals Portugal and Austria in the first round of voting at the U.N. General Assembly, missing out on one of the two seats reserved for the Western Europe and Others Group for the 2027-2028 term.
During the ballot, Germany mustered only 104 votes - well short of the two-thirds threshold of 127 required to win - while Portugal topped the ballot with 134 and Austria followed with 131. Germany has failed for the first time in its bid for a seat on the most powerful U.N. body.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government had campaigned hard for the seat, promising to use the post to advocate for international law and support initiatives to strengthen the U.N.'s role in global peace and stability.
However, Berlin's campaign faced strong headwinds. Diplomats and analysts noted ahead of the vote that Germany's blanket support for Israel - and its reluctance to take a tougher stance despite war crimes in Gaza - had emerged as a major liability that could cost it crucial votes among member states.
The U.N. Security Council has 15 members: five permanent (the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom) and 10 elected for staggered two-year terms, with seats allocated for different world regions.
