Germany fails to win UN Security Council seat for the first time, losing to Portugal and Austria

Germany suffered a historic diplomatic defeat on Wednesday when the UN General Assembly rejected its bid for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council for the 2027–2028 term. Portugal received 134 votes and Austria 131, both clearing the required two-thirds majority of 127. Germany managed only 104 votes and was eliminated in the first round. The result was announced by General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock.

A first in German UN history

Germany has served six previous terms on the Security Council, most recently in 2019–2020, and had traditionally won a seat every eight years. Diplomats confirmed the country had never before failed in a candidacy. The two available seats for the Western European and Others Group will be filled by Portugal and Austria starting 1 January 2027, replacing Denmark and Greece. Zimbabwe, Trinidad and Tobago, and Kyrgyzstan were also elected for their respective regional groups on the same day.

Austria, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe have achieved the required majority and are therefore elected to the Security Council for the term beginning 1 January 2027.

A late start and a tough field

Germany declared its candidacy only in 2020, years after Austria (2011) and Portugal (2013). Former German UN ambassador Christoph Heusgen said Berlin had been too slow to campaign. "After our last term in 2019–20, we leaned back and did not run this advertising campaign as intensively as we should have," Heusgen told RBB-Inforadio. "We entered massively in the last year, but by then many votes were already committed." Jürgen Hardt, foreign policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, said the lesson was to coordinate earlier within the European group to avoid competing candidacies.

We entered massively in the last year, but by then many votes were already committed.

Foreign policy positions blamed

Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul pointed to Germany's firm support for Ukraine and its close ties to Israel as factors that cost votes. "We have always taken clear positions on certain subjects, and these are positions that not all member states share," Wadephul said. He added it was "no secret" that Russia, a permanent Security Council member, had stirred resentment against Germany. The NZZ reported that countries of the Global South have increasingly accused Germany of "double standards" — uncompromising on Russia's war in Ukraine while restrained in judging the actions of the United States or Israel in Iran, Gaza, or Lebanon. Wadephul acknowledged that Germany's special responsibility toward Israel "may have cost us one or another vote."

There is our firm support for Ukraine. Russia does not want such a voice on the Security Council.

Domestic political fallout

The result triggered sharp criticism at home. AfD leader Alice Weidel called it an "embarrassment" on X. The AfD has previously questioned Germany's annual contributions of roughly five billion euros to the UN system, making it the second-largest net contributor. Deputy SPD parliamentary group leader Siemtje Möller called the outcome "clear and disappointing" and said Germany's commitment to a rules-based order and international law needed to be clearer. Chancellor Friedrich Merz congratulated Portugal and Austria and insisted the candidacy had been correct and would benefit Germany "in the long term." He said Germany's responsibilities within the UN were unchanged by the result.

The tasks we face in the United Nations do not change because of this result. Germany remains a reliable pillar of the multilateral system.

What comes next

The defeat complicates Merz's ambition to reposition Germany as a leading power in Europe and a voice on global issues such as the Ukraine war and the future of Gaza. Several commentators noted that the UN Security Council's relevance has diminished, with major geopolitical decisions increasingly made outside New York. RP Online argued that Merz's broader foreign policy course — more bilateral diplomacy, strategic partnerships with China, Brazil, and Arab states, and efforts to strengthen the EU — remains the path that matters. The Security Council is the only UN body that can pass binding resolutions under international law, including sanctions and military interventions.