Germany did not secure a seat as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council

Germany failed in its bid to secure a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council. During the vote, the country was unable to garner the necessary support from UN member states to be elected to the Security Council.

According to UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock, during the election held in New York, the Federal Republic of Germany lost to Portugal and Austria in the first round.

Germany has served on the Security Council six times, most recently in 2019 and 2020. Berlin typically nominates itself for the Security Council once every eight years. According to diplomats, Germany has never before failed in its bid for a seat.

Germany received only 104 votes. A two-thirds majority would have required 127 votes, Berbock noted. Portugal received 134 votes, and Austria received 131.

For Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, this defeat is also a significant blow to their efforts to position Germany as a key player on the international stage more strongly than it has been in recent years.

Germany’s candidacy faced difficult circumstances from the outset: Berlin entered the election campaign only in 2020, later than Lisbon and Vienna. In addition, Germany’s stance on the war in Gaza drew criticism, as did its restrained reaction to the Israeli attack on Iran and U.S. actions in Venezuela.

The Security Council is the only UN body that can adopt legally binding decisions, such as imposing sanctions and authorizing the use of force. It consists of five permanent members with veto power: the United Kingdom, China, France, Russia, and the United States.

The remaining 10 members are elected, with five new members joining the Council each year. This year, one member comes from the African Group, one from the Latin American and Caribbean Group, one from the Asia-Pacific Group, and two from Western European and other states.

Zimbabwe will replace Somalia, Trinidad and Tobago will replace Panama, and Portugal and Austria will replace Denmark and Greece. The Philippines and Kyrgyzstan are vying for Pakistan’s seat.