By Ayman Okeil
Germany failed to secure one of the two vacant seats for the Western Europe and other states group on the UN Security Council, seats that ultimately went to Portugal and Austria. Under Article 23 of the UN Charter, the Security Council comprises fifteen UN member states, including five permanent members that hold the veto power. The General Assembly elects an additional ten members to serve as non-permanent members. This is the first time the German government has failed to win this seat when running for it.
It is one of fate’s ironies that it was Germany’s then-foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, who served as President of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, who announced that Germany had not secured a non-permanent seat on the Security Council. Germany received only 104 votes, while Portugal garnered 134 votes, and Austria received 131 votes. Different views have been offered to explain this defeat. Johann Waidelich, Germany’s foreign minister himself, said that Germany lost the Security Council membership election for reasons including its own responsibility in standing alongside Israel. Moreover, it appears that German voters’ renewed reconsideration of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s statements may have played a role, particularly when the first Israeli war against Iran began. At the time, he said: “Israel carries out dirty work on our behalf in Iran.”
Another factor was Germany’s failure to secure the votes of the African Group. African Group states have begun to require clear positions on matters such as development issues, sovereign debt, and, most importantly, the reform of the Security Council itself, including granting Africa two permanent seats on the international body. Germany may not fully welcome these conditions. The African Union summit held in February 2026 formally adopted the African position on reforming and expanding the Security Council.
Perhaps these explanations hold some validity, especially when considering the two countries that won the vacant seats: Portugal and Austria. Portugal has, for decades, established strong and close relations with Africa. As for Austria, it leveraged its traditional neutrality as a source of strength in its favor. More significantly, Germany’s loss suggests that the issue goes beyond financial contributions: Germany’s claim that it is among the top five contributors to the UN budget and a major provider of voluntary funding apparently did not give it the advantage it sought. It seems the matter is not merely about “over-supporting” the UN with aid, but about the ability to understand the ambitions of developing countries, including African states, and to draw them in while listening to their demands.
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