Portugal and Austria defeat Germany for seats on the UN Security Council
Germany fell short of the two-thirds threshold, while Austria and Portugal won the contested Western Europe seats with more votes, officials said.
- On Wednesday, June 3, 2026, Germany lost its bid for a temporary United Nations Security Council seat to Austria and Portugal, failing to secure the required two-thirds majority in the General Assembly.
- Competing against Austria and Portugal for two available seats in the 'Western Europe' and Others group, Germany sought a position on the 15-member council, which consists of 193 member states.
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul attended the vote in New York City, where Wadephul had described the German bid as a 'good offer' to take responsibility.
- Affirming that 'this result does not alter the tasks we face at the United Nations,' Merz stated Germany remains a 'reliable pillar of the multilateral system' despite the outcome.
- The opposition Greens labeled the loss an 'embarrassing defeat,' with deputy leader Agnieszka Brugger claiming the government did 'far too little to underpin this bid with modern ideas' last year.
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The loss is seen in Germany as a huge defeat for Chancellor Merz's government. Opposition parties are not happy about the loss.
It has five permanent members with veto power: the United Kingdom, China, France, Russia and the United States.
Associated Press News
Portugal and Austria defeat Germany for seats on the UN Security Council
Portugal and Austria have defeated Germany for seats on the powerful but deeply divided U.N. Security Council in a hotly contested race after intense campaigning.
5 countries elected to UN Security Council; Germany misses out
The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, June 3, elected Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe to the 15-member UN Security Council for two-year terms starting on January 1, 2027. Germany, which had lobbied hard for a seat, came third for the two places contested by the Western European and Others Group, with 104 votes, against 134 for Portugal and 131 for Austria. The contest between the Philippines and Kyrgy…
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