Ursula von der Leyen’s re-election as the president of the European Commission is considered a ‘pivotal moment’ for the EU. The commission, the EU’s legislative arm, initiates new legislation for about 450 million Europeans. As president, von der Leyen represents the EU on the world stage, alongside prime ministers and presidents.
Comfortably re-elected
In a secret ballot, 401 of 719 MEPs voted for von der Leyen to continue as head of the EU’s executive, with 284 voting against. The necessary majority was 360. Previously a member of Angela Merkel’s cabinet, von der Leyen was the first female president of the commission and the first German president since the executive’s first. The post carries an estimated salary of €323,000 per year.
A majority of Euro deputies from the EU parliament’s four biggest groups voted for her: the EPP, S&D, Renew and Greens. She was first elected in July 2019, and this will be her second term. Her significant opposition this time reflects the growing influence of far-right parties in the EU parliament.
von der Leyen has outlined her political priorities for the next five years and will confirm the 26 commissioners and their portfolios, who undergo confirmation hearings with MEPs, expected to be very lively affairs.
Upbeat reaction from the Greens
Reaction to Ursula von der Leyen’s re-election has been swift. The Greens stated the outcome “confirms a four-group democratic majority in parliament and prevents the far-right from driving the agenda of the EU over the next five years”. They emphasised the importance of this majority in defending democracy against the far-right and welcomed von der Leyen’s commitments to the Green Deal to develop a climate-neutral industrial policy. But they vowed to scrutinise the new commission closely.
Further positive reactions
Manfred Weber, German MEP and leader of the largest group, the centre-right EPP, hailed von der Leyen’s re-election as a “victory for democracy and a united Europe”. He added, “Europeans want a democratic Europe, not a radical one” and the vote was for “clear priorities: prosperity, security, and stopping migration”.
The S&D Group, the second largest in parliament, also supported von der Leyen for another term. Its leader, Spanish MEP Iratxe García Pérez said:
“We have made the commission’s political guidelines the most social and the greenest ever… we achieved a clear commitment not to cooperate with the far-right, on the fight against climate change, and on a just transition… [we] will have a European strategy against poverty and we will finally address the problem of housing, with a commissioner for housing.”
A thumbs down from some within EU parliament
However, not all reaction was positive and von der Leyen has received severe criticism, particularly from the ECR group, which has 83 MEPs. ECR joint leader Joachim Brudziński (Law and Justice party) described her as “perhaps the worst” president, criticising her management style as “terrible” and decision-making as “confined to a narrow group of German advisors”. His opinion was that her previous term was marked by “arrogance, hypocrisy, lack of cooperation with commissioners, exuberant ambitions and passionate concerns about her own image”.
Some NGOs are unhappy
NGOs are important players in the EU community. Some have also criticised von der Leyen. One such voice is Vicky Cann from Corporate Europe Observatory, who argues that von der Leyen has shown a drastic shift in her priorities. Cann stated, “Five years ago, she promised a transformative Green Deal but is now openly embracing corporate lobbyists and their deregulation agenda”. Cann argued that despite initial support for the Green Deal, von der Leyen’s first term saw “strong political, financial, and regulatory support for corporate power” and that by reappointing von der Leyen, the European Parliament was signalling approval of a pro-business, anti-regulation agenda, hindering efforts to tackle the cost of living crisis and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, harmful chemicals, and pesticides.
The view of energy, climate and SME bodies
Eurelectric is the EU wide body representing the electricity sector. They welcome the renewed mandate with Secretary General Kristian Ruby saying: “Von der Leyen has set out a pragmatic, yet ambitious agenda for the next five years”, which Ruby felt would help address geopolitical tensions, industrial competition and the impact of extreme weather. Eurelectric welcomes VDL’s announcement of a new clean industrial deal to keep industry competitive while decarbonising. They support implementing the Green Deal and scaling up investments in low-carbon infrastructure, as well as creating a Savings and Investment Union to provide necessary financial backing.
Chiara Martinelli, director at Climate Action Network Europe, claimed von der Leyen’s commitment to 90% emission cuts is a step in the right direction but a “missed opportunity” to align EU’s ambition with science and equity by achieving climate neutrality by 2040 at the latest.
Petri Salminen, president of SMEunited, noted that the EU’s 24.3 small businesses value von der Leyen’s recognition of their importance, citing her acknowledgement that “there is no Europe without SMEs”.
VDL faces the first major test of her second term
Attention now shifts to von der Leyen’s team of commissioners, who will shape EU legislation for the next five years.
EU member countries nominate commissioners, and von der Leyen has asked governments to submit one male candidate and one female candidate by 30 August to ensure gender balance in the “college of commissioners”. This request is not mandated by EU treaties and represents the first major test of von der Leyen’s authority in her new term.
A source at Politico affirmed that compliance with this demand will be a significant challenge, requiring her to “weigh up geography, political affiliation and skill sets. But above all: It’s the first big test of her authority as she prepares for her second term.”
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