Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected as president of the European Commission in a crucial vote on Thursday, marking the biggest challenge to her political legacy, built through a series of crises that have shaken the European Union (EU).
After intense questioning in the European Parliament, von der Leyen received 401 votes in favour and 284 against, securing a strong majority for her second five-year term.
This decisive result contrasts sharply with her narrow victory in 2019, where she won by just nine votes.
“The last five years have shown what we can achieve together,” von der Leyen remarked. “Let’s do it again. Let’s choose strength. Let’s choose leadership.”
The re-election followed days of intense behind-the-scenes negotiations, with the 65-year-old German politician meeting with the main parliamentary groups multiple times to garner as much support as possible.
Although the three centrist groups – the European People’s Party (EPP), the Socialists & Democrats (S&D), and Renew Europe – had enough seats to re-elect her, internal divisions suggested a potentially unstable outcome.
This led von der Leyen to seek additional backing from the Greens and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR).
Her approach to the right-wing ECR, including Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy and Poland’s Law and Justice (PiS), sparked controversy among progressives, who viewed it as a risk to the centrist alliance.
To alleviate these concerns, von der Leyen assured there would be “no structured cooperation” with Meloni’s group and reaffirmed her commitment to the Green Deal, despite opposition from her centre-right colleagues.
Due to the secret nature of the vote, it’s unclear who supported or opposed her. However, her speech on Thursday, emphasizing climate action, suggests that the Greens played a pivotal role.
“We have secured commitments on the Green Deal, making the EU more socially fair and protecting democracy,” the Greens stated, confirming their support.
Conversely, the ECR group declared that a “large majority of national delegations” voted against von der Leyen. A representative from Meloni’s Brothers of Italy confirmed their group opposed her candidacy.
