Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected on Thursday for a second term as president of the European Commission, following her pledge to forge a continental “defense union” and continue Europe’s green transformation while easing the burden on business.
In a secret ballot, 284 members of the 720-member European Parliament (EP) voted against von der Leyen’s request for a five-year extension as head of the EU’s powerful executive body, while 401 members supported her candidacy, Reuters reported.
Von der Leyen, 65, addressed the Parliament in Strasbourg earlier on Thursday, laying out a vision centered on security and prosperity that was influenced by the obstacles posed by climate change, global economic competitiveness, and Russia’s conflict in Ukraine.
Ahead of the vote, Von der Leyen stated: “The next five years will define Europe’s place in the world for the next five decades. It will decide whether we shape our own future or let it be shaped by events or by others.”
To combat climate change, she emphasized the importance of sticking to her core coalition of liberal, center-left, and center-right MPs and the “Green Deal’s” economic restructuring of the EU.
Von der Leyen stated that Europe’s freedom was in jeopardy and that the continent needed to increase its defense spending after promising to back Ukraine in its conflict with Russia for as long as it takes.
Following the result, Von der Leyen was questioned about the prospect of dealing with a protectionist and isolationist US administration led by Donald Trump. She responded that the EU was focusing on “reducing its dependencies” regardless of elections held elsewhere.