EU Parliament Backs Von der Leyen for Second Term
Ursula von der Leyen has been re-elected for a second term as President of the European Commission. She addressed the European Parliament ahead of the vote, outlining her primary focus in the areas of defense, competitiveness, and climate policy. She also addressed various social issues like affordable housing, gender equality, youth opportunities, and tackling cyber-bullying. Masa Ocvirk, Program Coordinator for the Wilson Center's Global Europe Program, talks about the significance of the election results. She covers the wavering support from the Green Party, how the European Parliament’s shift to the right influenced von der Leyen’s agenda, what the foreign policy priorities will be during her next term, and what her re-election means for the European Union going forward.
Video Transcript
EU Parliament Backs Von der Leyen for Second Term
The most surprising thing was the amount of votes she received. In the end, it was unclear until the last moment whether she would even receive enough support to get over the 361 threshold. But then in the end, that was much more significant, and it seems like the biggest role was played by the Green Party, who was, until the last moment, unsure whether they will support because of, as they say, lack of Green Deal ambition in her new program.
The shift to the right from the European Parliament definitely played a role in her agenda. She put a lot more emphasis on competitiveness, on bringing manufacturing and tech back to the European Union, as well as she directly addressed farmers during her speech and pleaded for support for farmers and announced also a new strategy for farming.
So I think that also plays very well with her trying to address the concerns of the more right wing side of the European Parliament.
When it comes to foreign policy, von der Leyen reaffirmed the support for Ukraine for as long as it takes and also called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. She also criticized the Hungarian prime minister's recent visit to Russia as an appeasement mission, in an attempt to clearly delineate European foreign policy from the recent actions of the Hungarian presidency.
Von der Leyen’s re-election is a much needed signal for European stability. In her previous term, she has successfully navigated Europe through several crises, from the Covid pandemic to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. And considering that there was no alternative, with her reelection, the European Union avoided another potential unstable political situation.
She will now start assembling her cabinet of commissioners, which will include some interesting portfolios such as housing, defense and even a new commissioner for the Mediterranean. Considering the fact that each commissioner has to defend their own portfolio in front of the European Parliament, and considering the interesting composition in the European Parliament, we can expect fierce debates in the fall until the new commission is confirmed.
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The Global Europe Program is focused on Europe’s capabilities, and how it engages on critical global issues. We investigate European approaches to critical global issues. We examine Europe’s relations with Russia and Eurasia, China and the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. Our initiatives include “Ukraine in Europe” – an examination of what it will take to make Ukraine’s European future a reality. But we also examine the role of NATO, the European Union and the OSCE, Europe’s energy security, transatlantic trade disputes, and challenges to democracy. The Global Europe Program’s staff, scholars-in-residence, and Global Fellows participate in seminars, policy study groups, and international conferences to provide analytical recommendations to policy makers and the media. Read more
