Ursula von der Leyen reelected for EU top job

Germany's Ursula von der Leyen has been given a second term as European Commission president. She was reelected by the European Parliament with 401 votes in favor, 284 against and 15 abstentions.

Von der Leyen needed to get a majority of at least 361 votes in the 720-seat chamber to be reelected. She raised both fists in victory as Parliament President Roberta Metsola read the results to the legislature.

"I can’t begin to express how grateful I am for the trust of all MEPs that voted for me," von der Leyen wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

After the vote, von der Leyen said that the most important issue for the European Union is to defend its democracy. "Our democracy is under attack from inside and from outside, and therefore it is crucial that the democratic forces stand together to defend our democracy," she told reporters.

A fraught path to victory

Despite von der Leyen's center-right European People's Party (EPP) bloc being the largest in parliament, her victory was anything but certain.

Following EU elections in June, European leaders had to make a deal on her candidacy over the objections of far-right figures like Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. 

Meloni had argued that von der Leyen leaves parties like hers out of the political conversation. As expected, her Brothers of Italy party voted against von der Leyen's reelection.

Von der Leyen had also faced pushback from within her own EPP. Because of the process of secret balloting, lawmakers are under less pressure to stick to party lines. A group of French lawmakers from the EPP penned a letter accusing von der Leyen of "technocratic drift," vowing not to vote for her.

At the same time, several centrist MEPs from Ireland said they would not vote for her due to her stance on Israel's military operations in Gaza. 

Environmental and security pledges

In an apparent effort to appease critics in the run-up to the vote, von der Leyen said she would press harder for a cease-fire.

"The bloodshed in Gaza must stop now," she said, adding that "the people of Gaza cannot bear any more, and humanity cannot bear any more... We need an immediate and enduring cease-fire. We need the release of Israeli hostages, and we need to prepare for the day after."

She also promised to target cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040, saying a new energy bill would also drive down prices for consumers.

Von der Leyen pledged to continue supporting Ukraine. She also vowed to beef up the EU border security agency Frontex and drive down irregular migration.

"We must strengthen Frontex to make it more effective while fully respecting fundamental rights. I will propose to triple the number of European border and coast guards to 30,000," she said.

Scholz and world leaders congratulate von der Leyen 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was quick to congratulate von der Leyen on social media, calling her reappointment "a clear sign of our ability to act in the European Union, especially in difficult times."

"Europeans expect us to take Europe forward. Let's do it!" he wrote on X.

Former Polish Prime Minister and former European Council chief Donald Tusk also offered congratulations, writing on X:  "Times are hard, but with your courage and determination, I'm sure you'll do a great job. We will do, it together."

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg congratulated his friend on winning a second term as well, writing: "My congratulations to my friend @vonderleyen on a second term at the helm of the European Commission. #NATO's strategic partnership with the #EU contributes to strengthening security in Europe and beyond."

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote on X that he looked forward to "working closely" with von der Leyen "to reset the relationship between the UK and the European Union."

dh, es/fb, rm (AFP, dpa, Reuters)