Germany is already trailing its competitors Portugal and Austria in the first round of the election for a seat on the UN Security Council. Portugal received 134 votes in the secret ballot, Austria received 131, and Germany only received 104 votes. According to Annalena Baerbock, currently president of the General Assembly, the two-thirds majority required was 127 votes; therefore, Portugal and Austria have secured a two-year seat on the Security Council. Five countries need to be elected to fill vacancies following the expiration of terms for Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia. Zimbabwe entered the running for Africa on Wednesday and secured a clear majority with 182 votes. For the Latin American and Caribbean nations, Trinidad and Tobago entered the competition and also had no problems, earning 181 votes. In the Asia-Pacific group, no required majority was reached initially. The Philippines garnered only 85 votes in the first round, while Kyrgyzstan received 105 votes.
Politics
