Ursula von der Leyen has won a European parliament vote to stay on as President of the European Commission for a second five-year term.
401 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted for her.
Ahead of the vote held on Thursday, July 18, 2024, von der Leyen met with MEPs from across the political spectrum in an effort to garner support beyond the three centrist parties that supported her in the past.
She offered a long list of policy promises tailored to appeal to different constituencies.
These included a plan to reduce bureaucratic burdens for small businesses and a proposal for a “new clean industrial deal” to channel investment into decarbonising manufacturing and green technology.
She put security at the heart of her re-election pitch, stressing the need for a “strong Europe” during a “period of deep anxiety and uncertainty.”
She reiterated the EU’s support for Ukraine and slammed a recent visit to Moscow by Hungary’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, as an “appeasement mission.”
Von der Leyen also said that she would create a new commissioner to tackle Europe’s housing crisis, “strengthen” the EU’s border agency Frontex and battle disinformation.
“The union needs its own structure dedicated to the fight against manipulation of information and foreign interference,” von der Leyen said.
Von der leyen, who is a former German Defence Minister, has led the European Commission since 2019, becoming the first woman to hold the post.
She presided over the Commission through two big crises, the COVID pandemic and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
She has won respect among heads of state and government for her staunch support of Kyiv and ability to cultivate close relationships with Europe’s allies.
Her confirmation for another term as the Commission’s chief will come to a relief to many EU capitals, which have sought continuity in Brussels amid political uncertainty in some member states, the ongoing war in Ukraine and concerns about the possible impact of the upcoming US election.
However, von der Leyen has also come under criticism from parts of the political spectrum.
Roberta Metsola, the European parliament President, congratulated Ursula von der Leyen, saying that it is testament to her strong leadership and unwavering values in testing times.
“Europe stands strong and stands ready,” Metsola added.
European leaders such as Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Petr Fiala, the Czech Prime Minister congratulated the re-elected EU Commission President.
Russia Warns Against Von Der Leyen’s Plans
Russia has warned that the European Union is growing more militarised and confrontational.
This came as outlined plans for a new defence union.
she said in a document setting out her programme before a European Parliament vote on Thursday that she hoped to launch a European Defence Union to deal with cross-border threats over the next five years, starting with a “European Air Shield and cyber defence.”
“We will ensure that these major projects are open to all and we will use all of the tools at our disposal – both regulatory and financial – to ensure they are designed, built and deployed on European soil as quickly as possible,” she stated,
Reacting to this, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the proposal demonstrates von der Leyen’s “changing priorities” and the EU’s “military colouring”.
“[It] confirms the general attitude of European states to militarisation, escalation of tension, confrontation and reliance on confrontational methods in their foreign policy. Everything is quite obvious here.”peskov
The Kremlin spokesman added that while Russia did not pose a threat to the EU, actions by its member states regarding Ukraine “have excluded any possibility of dialogue and consideration of Russia’s concerns”.
“These are the realities in which we have to live, and this forces us to configure our foreign policy approaches accordingly,” Peskov said.
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