Austria and Portugal have won seats on the UN Security Council, ending a 40-year streak for Germany. This marks the first time that Germany, Europe's largest economy and a former six-term member, has failed to be elected to the 15-member council.
The results came after secret ballots cast by the General Assembly for two seats in the Western Europe and Others group. Portugal and Austria received 134 and 131 votes respectively, while Germany received 104 votes. Germany failed to reach the 127 votes required to secure a seat.
Germany had lobbied hard for the position but ultimately came in third. The foreign minister stated that Germany's special responsibility for Israel in the Middle East conflict may have cost the country votes.