European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen has been endorsed as the centre-right European People’s Party’s (EPP) lead candidate to become the next European Commission President.
400 delegates of the EU’s leading political group voted for and 89 voted against von der Leyen as their candidate.
The EPP vote comes ahead of an EU-wide parliamentary election in June that will lead to the election of new top officials, including the head of the Brussels-based European Commission, for the bloc for the next five years.
The Party of European Socialists, representing the broad centre-left, has already chosen Nicolas Schmit as its lead candidate for the election, which takes place between June 6 and 9, 2024.
If approved by leaders of the EU’s 27 member countries, she will have another term charting the bloc’s policies on everything from big tech and state aid to Chinese investment screening and sanctions against Russia.
Speaking at the party caucus in Bucharest, von der Leyen listed the war in Ukraine, the crisis in Gaza, and China’s rise as critical challenges ahead for the EU.
She vowed to advance EU economies, clamp down on smugglers driving irregular immigration to the bloc, strengthen competitiveness and businesses, as well as supporting farmers as costs of living rise.
Von der Leyen also promised more financial and military aid to Ukraine, which has been fighting against Russian invasion for more than two years.
“Prosperity, security, democracy – this is what people care about in these difficult times,” she said. “In times of change, Europe has your back.”
A 25-page manifesto for the broad centre-right alliance promises to ramp up Europe’s arms production and step up the fight against terrorism and organised crime.
It proposes a “fundamental change in European asylum law” in which claims could be processed in third countries.
The manifesto also calls for EU border agency Frontex to treble its manpower and for all migration to the EU to be “comprehensively electronically monitored”.
“It is us, the Europeans, who decide who comes to Europe and under what circumstances, and not the organised crime of smugglers and traffickers,” von der Leyen said.
Warning Of Expected Rise Of Populists
Moreover, von der Leyen cautioned on the expected rise of populists in the bloc’s upcoming elections and Russia’s attempt “to wipe Ukraine off the face of (the) earth.”
“And here at home, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s friends are trying to rewrite our history and hijack our future. They are spreading hate from behind their keyboards,” she told the party caucus in Bucharest.
“Our peaceful and united Europe is being challenged like never before by populists, by nationalists, by demagogues, whether it’s the far right or it’s the far left.
“The names may be different, but the goal is the same. They want to trample on our values and they want to destroy our Europe … the EPP will never let that happen.”
Ursula von der Leyen
It was reported that von der Leyen noted Europe’s push to reduce its dependence on Russian energy after President Vladimir Putin ordered the war in Ukraine two years ago.
“We have resisted Putin’s blackmail with its dirty coal, oil and gas. We got rid of this dependency,” she said.
She added, “We are massively investing in clean energy. For the first time we produced more electricity from wind and sun in Europe than from gas. This creates good jobs here at home, drives prices down and cleans up pollution. And it gives us energy security.”
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