Ursula von der Leyen re-elected as President of the European Commission

At a meeting on Thursday, July 18, the European Parliament re-elected Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission for a second five-year term, as reported on the official website.

401 MEPs appointed Von der Leyen; 284 voted against him, 15 abstained, and seven votes were invalid. The President of the European Commission needed at least 361 votes to secure re-election.

The voting was secret, so it was not known until the last moment whether the President of the European Commission would be able to get enough support for reappointment.

Representatives of the European Left group had previously proposed to postpone the vote on von der Leyen, citing the EU Court of Justice’s decision on her role in the purchase of coronavirus vaccines, but the vast majority of deputies opposed it.

The Commission President-elect will now send official letters to member state heads of state or government, inviting them to put forward their candidates for European Commissioner posts. After the summer, Parliament will organize nomination hearings in the relevant committees, as reported on the official website of the European Parliament.

In her election program, von der Leyen promised to emphasize the European Union’s defense policy and to introduce new positions in the European Commission, including commissioners for defense, housing, the Mediterranean region, and fisheries.

She also promised to promote the competitiveness of the European Union and the integration of Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, and the Western Balkans.

At an informal summit in late June, EU leaders and other top EU officials agreed on Ursula von der Leyen’s candidacy for the post of President of the European Commission.

Von der Leyen’s appointment does not mean that the new European Commission will start working. The European Parliament must approve the candidacies of all commissioners, which may take weeks.