Von der Leyen re-elected for second term as EU leader

Ursula von der Leyen has been re-elected for a second term as European Commission President after a vote in the European Parliament.

To get a second term she needed at least 361 votes in the 720-seat parliament, which was holding its first sitting in Strasbourg, France since EU-wide elections in June. In the event she got 401 votes in the secret ballot to win a second five-year term.

Von der Leyen was re-elected after a job-pitch speech vowing to bolster Europe's defense and strengthen its industry through greater investment.

The EU chief had to convince a wide spectrum of political parties, from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's far-right Brothers of Italy party to the Greens, to support her in the vote.

Von der Leyen's promises sometimes appeared contradictory in the hour-long speech in the European Parliament, during which she delivered an expansive road map for what her second five-year term would look like.

She vowed to boost Europe's competitiveness and ensure significant investment in key industries, including defense. But she also insisted the European Union would not swerve from ambitious climate goals that include reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent by 2040.

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She said she would work on a new "clean industrial deal" to "help bring down energy bills" and focus on developing an "affordable housing plan."

With conflicts in and near Europe, Von der Leyen insisted on the need for a "strong Europe" during a "period of deep anxiety and uncertainty."

Better defended borders

In a bid to further win lawmakers' approval, especially the Greens, Von der Leyen published a document with more details about her plans.

She said she would build a "European Oceans Pact" to ensure healthier waters. But in an indication of the delicate balancing act she faces, she also promised to protect agriculture after farmers' protests against green policies.

If elected, she will have to get straight to work choosing her next cabinet of commissioners, known as a "college," to work on EU policy.

She said she would create a new commissioner to tackle Europe's housing crisis, "strengthen" the EU's border agency Frontex and triple the number of border guards. 

She also vowed to reinforce the EU's efforts against disinformation.

"The union needs its own structure dedicated to the fight against manipulation of information and foreign interference," Von der Leyen said.

Walking on a tightrope

Von der Leyen, a former German defense minister, has led the European Commission since 2019, the first woman in the role. She has weathered several crises such as the Covid pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine – and also faced many controversies.

Even the day before the vote, Von der Leyen was dealt a blow when a top EU court ruled she failed to be transparent enough about coronavirus vaccine contracts.

Her detractors expressed deep frustration with Von der Leyen and suggested she had a shaky majority. When she won her first mandate in 2019 it was with only nine extra votes from MEPs.

She belongs to the biggest political group in the parliament, the conservative European People's Party, which is in a centrist coalition with the Socialists and Democrats and the liberal Renew Europe groups.

That coalition had the numbers to get von der Leyen over the line. The expectations were that some lawmakers within those groups would vote against her but that she would also pick up enough votes from Greens and the far-right European Conservatives and Reformists to seal the deal.

If Von der Leyen had failed to get a majority, the 27 leaders would have been expected to put forward a new name. But now the EU's most powerful executive has another half-decade to steer the bloc through changing international times. 

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