2024-07-18 17:08:33
Von der Leyen needed at least 361 votes to be confirmed in office, but 401 of the 720 MEPs voted for her.
284 MPs rejected her candidacy in a secret ballot.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz has already congratulated von der Leyen, who represents the currently opposition German Christian Democrats (CDU), on social media sites.
Scholtz pointed out that the re-election of the candidate supported by the conservative European People’s Party (EPP) shows the European Union’s (EU) ability to act, especially in “difficult times”.
After the elections held in June, the EPP retained the status of the largest faction in the EP, as well as the previous coalition of centrist parties with the Socialists (S&D) and the liberal faction “Renewed Europe”.
However, the Socialists have emphasized that their support for von der Leyen does not mean that she has received “carte blanche” (full freedom of action).
Von der Leyen was also congratulated by the co-chair of the Green faction, Tereze Reintke.
“As part of the majority of the four pro-European factions, we have received a promise to continue the ‘Green Course’, make the EU more socially just and protect democracy. We will not allow the extreme right to come to power,” Reintke writes on the social communication site “X”.
Speaking to the EP before the vote, von der Leyen promised to increase the competitiveness of the EU and ensure serious investments in the most important sectors of the economy, including the defense industry.
At the same time, the EC president promised that the EU would not deviate from the ambitious goals for limiting climate change, which, among other things, envisages reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040.
She promised to chart a new “clean industry course” with lower energy prices and develop an “affordable housing plan.”
At the same time, demonstrating her efforts to bridge the gap between the demands of various political groups, the EC president promised to protect European farmers, who held large-scale protests against the so-called Green Course in various member states on the eve of the EP elections.
Von der Leyen emphasized that a “strong Europe” is needed in these times of global instability. She reiterated her support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression and condemned the Hungarian Prime Minister’s meeting with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
At the same time, the EC president called for an “immediate and lasting ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip, where Israel is fighting the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. She emphasized that the “massacre” must be stopped immediately.
Von der Leyen promised to also focus on the protection of the EU’s external borders, increasing the number of the bloc’s border guard agency “Frontex” by three times.
The EC president also expressed her determination to fight against the spread of disinformation.
2024-07-18 17:08:33