European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday was re-elected for a second five-year term. In a final pitch before the vote, the former German defence minister pledged to create a joint European defence union and to lead the fight to preserve a democratic “European way of life”.
Lawmakers at the European Parliament on Thursday re-elected Ursula von der Leyen to a second 5-year term as president of the European Union’s executive commission.
The re-election ensures leadership continuity for the 27-nation bloc as it wrestles with crises ranging from the war in Ukraine to climate change, migration and housing shortages.
A majority in the 720-seat legislature voted for the German Christian Democrat after a speech in which she pledged to be a strong leader for Europe in a time of crisis and polarization.
The secret ballot at the 720-seat parliament comes hot on the heels of strong gains by the far right in last month's election for the European Parliament.
“I will never let the extreme polarization of our societies become accepted. I will never accept that demagogues and extremists destroy our European way of life. And I stand here today ready to lead the fight with all the Democratic forces in this house,” von der Leyen said.
In a speech that sought to shore up support from across the political spectrum, she pledged to strengthen the EU economy, its police and border agencies, tackle migration and pursue policies tackling climate change while also helping farmers who have staged protests against what they call stifling EU bureaucracy and environmental rules.
She also took a swipe at Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his recent visit to Russia shortly after his country took over the rotating six-month EU presidency.
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"This so-called peace mission was nothing but an appeasement mission,” von der Leyen said as she vowed that Europe would remain shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine.
Over the past five years, von der Leyen has steered the bloc through a series of crises, including Britain’s exit from the EU, the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. She has also pushed a Green Deal aiming to make the EU climate-neutral by 2050.
Von der Leyen's election came as newly elected U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer was welcoming some 45 heads of government to discuss migration, energy security and the threat from Russia as he seeks to restore relations between the U.K. and its European neighbors.
The leaders signed off on the conservative German von der Leyen at a summit meeting late last month.
Read moreGermany's von der Leyen seeks second term as head of the EU Commission
The 65-year-old von der Leyen’s bid was boosted when the European People's Party, which includes von der Leyen’s Christian Democratic Union, remained the largest group at the EU Parliament after the elections.
But her reelection was not a foregone conclusion as some lawmakers within her own center-right European People’s Party indicated they could still vote against her. She needed a straight majority of 361 votes to secure a second term
The German politician has been praised for her leading role during the coronavirus crisis, when the EU bought vaccines collectively for its citizens. But she also found herself receiving sharp criticism for the opacity of the negotiations with vaccine makers.
The EU general court ruled Wednesday that the commission did not allow the public enough access to information about COVID-19 vaccine purchase agreements it secured with pharmaceutical companies during the pandemic.
Following the elections for EU Parliament, European Union leaders agreed on the officials who will hold the key positions in the world’s biggest trading bloc in the coming years for issues ranging from antitrust investigations to foreign policy. At the side of von der Leyen will be two new faces: Antonio Costa of Portugal as European Council president and Estonia’s Kaja Kallas as the top diplomat of the world’s largest trading bloc.
Read moreVon der Leyen, Costa and Kallas endorsed for the EU's top jobs
While Costa’s nomination only needed the leaders’ approval, Kallas will also need to be approved by European lawmakers later this year. The Estonian prime minister is a staunch supporter of Ukraine and a fierce critic of Russia within the European Union and NATO.
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
