Ursula von der Leyen reacts after being elected for a second term as President of the European Commission at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on July 18, 2024.
Johanna Geron | Reuters
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected on Thursday after pledging to create a continental “defense union” to insist on Europe’s green transition while easing the burden on industry.
MEPs voted 401 to 284 in a secret vote in the 720-member chamber to back Von der Leyen for another five-year term at the EU’s powerful executive body.
Speaking to parliament in Strasbourg earlier in the day, von der Leyen laid out a plan focused on prosperity and security, drawn up in the light of Russia’s war in Ukraine, global economic competition and the challenges of climate change. of.
“The next five years will determine Europe’s place in the world in the next five years. It will determine whether we shape our own future or let it be shaped by events or other people,” von der Leyen said before her secret vote. “Candidacy.
She stressed that there was no need to abandon the “Green Deal” transformation of the EU economy to combat climate change, a key commitment from Green Party lawmakers who joined center-right, center-left and liberal groups in backing her for the role .
Von der Leyen pledged to support Ukraine as long as it confronts Russia and said Europe’s freedoms were threatened and more money must be spent on defense.
Center-right von der Leyen, Germany’s former defense minister, has pledged to create a “true European defense alliance” with flagship projects involving air and cyber defence.
The plan sparked criticism from the Kremlin, which said it reflected a “militarized (and) confrontational” attitude.
Von der Leyen drew widespread applause from lawmakers when she slammed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s recent visit to Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as an “appeasement mission.”
European defense policy has traditionally been the domain of national governments and NATO.
But after Russia’s attack on Ukraine and uncertainty over the extent to which Europe will be able to rely on U.S. protection if Donald Trump wins the November U.S. presidential election, the European Commission is seeking to push for more joint European defences. project.
Von der Leyen also pledged to adopt a series of climate policies, including a legally binding EU target to reduce emissions by 90% by 2040 compared with 1990 levels.
She also pledged new measures to help European industry remain competitive while investing to curb emissions.
Green support
The Greens’ decision to join an informal coalition of parties backing von der Leyen ensured her victory by a sizeable margin. She needs 361 votes to gain a House majority.
Her own bloc of centre-right, centre-left and liberals holds 401 seats, but some members of that bloc are expected to vote against her in secret ballots.
She is also likely to promise tighter EU border controls and greater police cooperation to fight crime.
Von der Leyen’s re-election provides continuity to the EU’s key institutions at a time when it faces external and internal challenges – including growing support from far-right and Eurosceptic parties in the 27-nation bloc.
In the coming weeks, she will nominate her team of commissioners, who will receive individual hearings from lawmakers before a final vote on the full committee later this year.
