Ursula Von der Leyen re-elected European Commission president with comfortable majority
The European Parliament gave the green light to the reappointment of Ursula von der Leyen as president of the European Commission by a comfortable majority of 401 votes in Strasbourg. The 65-year-old German Christian democrat will head the European Union's executive body for the next five years.
Von der Leyen had been nominated for a second mandate by the leaders of the 27 member states late last month. She also needed an absolute majority of 360 votes in the European Parliament to back her candidacy.
In a secret ballot, Von der Leyen received the votes of 401 MEPs, with 284 voting against her. There were also 22 blank or invalid votes. The comfortable victory is a big difference with her election in 2019, when she only secured a narrow margin of nine votes.
Von der Leyen, who belongs to the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), could also count on the support of the Socialists & Democrats and liberals of Renew. The three centrist groups had enough seats for her re-election, but internal disagreements were possible, so to be sure she needed to reach out to the Greens and the European Conservatives and Reformists for additional support.
Plans for next five years
In her speech before the vote, in which she outlined her plans for the next five years, Von der Leyen promised to further roll out the Green Deal, anchoring the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 90 per cent by 2040 in the European climate law. She also aims to present a Clean Industrial Deal within the first 100 days of her mandate.
Von der Leyen also promised to tackle the housing crisis and to appoint a new Commissioner responsible for housing policy. The role would examine the causes of the crisis and how to mobilise more public and private investment, including through the European Investment Bank. A new European Affordable Housing Plan should kickstart the turnaround.
European farmers can count on her support, she said, adding that she wanted to strengthen the position of farmers in the value chain. “I will make sure they get a fair income,” she said. “No one should be forced to sell food below the production cost price.”
Boosting competitiveness
Prosperity and competitiveness will be the “first priority” for the new Commission, she said. European competitiveness needs “a major boost”, she said. She advocated cutting red tape for companies, with a vice-president in the Commission who will specifically oversee this.
The new European Commission will be an investment commission, she promised. “Europe needs more investment,” she said. “From agriculture to industry. From digital to strategic technologies. But also in people and their skills.”
Von der Leyen finally presented her plans on defence. “We have to invest more, we have to invest together and we have to launch common European projects,” she said. She gave the example of a European air defence shield, “not only to defend our airspace but as a strong symbol of European unity in defence”.
Manfred Weber congratulates Ursula Von der Leyen, re-elected as president of the European Commission, Strasbourg, 18 July 2024 © PHOTO ROBERTO MONALDO/LAPRESSE
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