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Ursula von der Leyen will begin a second term as President of the European Commission after easily winning the support of parliamentarians with her promise to strengthen the EU’s defence capabilities and economic competitiveness.
Von der Leyen, who has led the Commission since 2019, has promised to stay the course of Europe’s green transition and support Ukraine if given a second term, presenting herself as a safe bet as the continent grapples with war, disruptive new technologies and political upheaval in the United States.
The German received 401 votes in the 720-member European Parliament after the Greens supported a Commission candidate for the first time, joining the three centrist parties that had publicly supported von der Leyen before the secret vote.
“We are building our own strength. We are strengthening the qualities that Europe has and we are working hard for a strong Europe,” von der Leyen told reporters after her re-election was confirmed.
But it faces an uphill battle to deliver on its far-reaching and ambitious promises to restore the EU’s competitiveness and boost public and private investment, including in new areas such as defence and housing.
The first female Commission president led the EU through the coronavirus pandemic and the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Amid fears the continent was falling behind the US and China, she pledged to preserve the EU’s “competitive advantage” in an appeal to a parliament that has moved to the right following elections last month.
She promised to create new EU Commissioners for housing, defence, EU enlargement and the Mediterranean with a mandate to tackle the migration issue.
A 31-page policy proposal published ahead of the vote mentions the word “investment” 49 times, appealing to cash-strapped EU governments that want long-awaited progress in better integrating the continent’s capital markets to unlock more private finance for defence, green transition and digitalisation.
“Europe needs more investment. From agriculture to industry. From digital to strategic technologies. But also more investment in people and their skills,” said von der Leyen.
The next EU budget, which runs from 2028 to 2035, must be more closely linked to respect for the rule of law, she added, and disbursements should be made conditional on reforms and investments, as is currently the case with the EU’s post-pandemic recovery funds.
“We will stick to a very clear principle in our budget: respect for the rule of law is a must for EU funds. In this budget and in the future,” she said to applause in Parliament.
She also said Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin was “nothing more than an appeasement mission” and pledged to maintain EU support for Ukraine’s defense against Moscow.
Her policy proposals document, agreed with the three centrist parties, represents a significant departure from her first term in office, which was marked by a comprehensive plan to combat climate change.
She said on Thursday that the focus of the Green Deal would be on implementing existing laws rather than passing new ones.
The Greens, who have 53 MEPs, voted for her nonetheless. Terry Reintke told the assembly in Strasbourg that they had “made compromises” in the negotiations with von der Leyen. They had ensured that “the majority of pro-European groups in this House … kept the extreme right out”.
About 30 percent of MPs come from right-wing extremist or extreme right-wing parties.
The proposed defence commissioner, which EU capitals are pushing for in the wake of the war with Russia and the increasing likelihood that Donald Trump will win the US elections in November and reduce Washington’s commitment to European security, would seek to pool funds for military spending.
“Regardless of elections in other parts of the world, it is important that we have a stronger Europe,” she said when asked whether Trump’s election campaign had influenced her political agenda.
Von der Leyen also proposed a Europe-wide air defence system and cyber protection as “projects of common European interest” that would be eligible for EU funding.
EU business associations have long complained that Brussels rules hamper their efforts to compete with the US and China in emerging industries such as green technologies.
To facilitate this process, von der Leyen proposed appointing a Commission vice-president to “implementation and simplification.” She also called for a new approach to the EU’s merger policy that would allow companies to grow at home and take on global giants.
“We need a competition policy that supports companies in expanding,” she said. “Europe must be the home of opportunities and innovation.”
Manfred Weber, chairman of von der Leyen’s European People’s Party, the largest in Parliament, said his members were “satisfied”. “Competitiveness, security and stopping illegal migration are the priorities of the new Commission.”
However, one MEP described von der Leyen’s list of promises as “a European Christmas tree” with presents for all parties, but questioned whether they could all be kept.