European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen won a second term on Thursday, after Green lawmakers agreed to back her following her pledge to stay the course on Europe's green transition while cushioning its burden on industry.
Von der Leyen was re-elected by members of the European Parliament for another five-year term in charge of the European Union's executive body with 401 votes in favour.
She needed 361 votes from a total of 720 lawmakers.
Addressing the parliament in Strasbourg before the vote, the centre-right von der Leyen laid out a programme focused on prosperity and security.
She also stressed the need not to backtrack on the "Green Deal" transformation of the EU economy to fight climate change, a key pledge for Greens who were earlier undecided on whether to support her.
"The next five years will define Europe’s place in the world for the next five decades. It will decide whether we shape our own future or let it be shaped by events or by others," von der Leyen said ahead of the secret ballot on her candidacy.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz congratulated von der Leyen for securing another term.
Her re-election is "a clear sign of our ability to act in the European Union, especially in difficult times", Scholz wrote on social media.
Expanding Europe's defences
After pledging to support Ukraine for as long as it takes in its fight against Russia, von der Leyen said Europe's liberty was at stake and it must invest more in defence.
The former German defence minister pledged to create "a true European Defence Union", with flagship projects on air and cyber defence.
She also blasted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's recent visit to Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as an "appeasement mission", winning broad applause from lawmakers.
Defence policy in Europe has traditionally been the domain of national governments and NATO.
EU unveils €1.5 billion defence programme as Ukraine war persists
But following Russia's attack on Ukraine and amid uncertainty over how much Europe will be able to rely on the United States for its protection should Donald Trump win the US presidential election in November, the European Commission is seeking to push more joint European defence projects.
Von der Leyen also pledged to stick to the goals set out in the European Green Deal, a climate package that was one of the main policies of her first term.
She promised a raft of climate policies including a legally binding EU target to cut emissions by 90 percent by 2040.
She also pledged new measures to help European industries stay competitive while they invest in curbing emissions.
(with newswires)
