Germany failed to win a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council in an election held on Wednesday. Austria and Portugal won non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council. Trinidad and Tobago and Zimbabwe were elected as non-permanent members, according to the Guardian. The UN Security Council has five permanent members with veto power: the US, Russia, China, Britain and France, according to the South China Morning Post. The non-permanent seats are elected for two-year terms beginning January 1, 2027, and ending December 31, 2028, according to the Hindu. Germany had held a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 40 consecutive years prior to this vote, according to Deutsche Welle. Germany’s failure to win a seat is regarded as a blow to Friedrich Merz’s government, according to the Guardian. This sparked soul-searching in Berlin, according to the Guardian. Criticism of Germany’s failure to win a seat came from across the political spectrum, according to the Guardian. Germany’s failure to win a seat is seen as the most severe foreign policy defeat for its coalition government, according to Deutsche Welle. Germany’s failure to win a seat is linked to its support for Israel, according to Al Jazeera.