European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen faces vote on her bid for second 5-year term

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STRASBOURG, France (AFP) – Ursula von der Leyen vowed to be a strong leader for Europe at a time of crisis and polarization when she delivered her final leadership speech on Thursday in an address to lawmakers in the European Parliament ahead of a vote on whether to grant her a second five-year term as president of the European Union’s executive commission.

The secret ballot in the 720-seat parliament follows strong gains by the far-right in last month’s European Parliament elections.

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“I will never allow extreme polarization in our societies to become acceptable. I will never accept that demagogues and extremists destroy our European way of life. I stand here today ready to lead the fight with all democratic forces in this Council,” von der Leyen said.

If a majority of lawmakers reject her nomination, it would leave the leaders of the 27-nation bloc struggling to find a replacement as Europe grapples with crises ranging from the war in Ukraine to climate change.

In a speech that sought to rally support from across the political spectrum, May pledged to strengthen the EU’s economy, police and border agencies, tackle migration and pursue policies that tackle climate change, while helping farmers who have staged protests against what they call stifling EU bureaucracy and environmental rules.

Merkel also criticised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his recent visit to Russia shortly after his country took over the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union.

“The so-called peace mission was nothing more than an appeasement mission,” von der Leyen said, vowing that Europe would stand by Ukraine.

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Over the past five years, von der Leyen has led the EU through a series of crises, including Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. She has also pushed through a Green Deal that aims to make the EU climate neutral by 2050.

Von der Leyen’s election came as newly elected British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted some 45 heads of government to discuss migration, energy security and the threat from Russia as he seeks to restore relations between the UK and its European neighbours.

At a summit meeting late last month, leaders approved the candidacy of German conservative von der Leyen. The 65-year-old’s chances were boosted when the European People’s Party, which includes von der Leyen’s Christian Democratic Union, remained the largest group in the European Parliament after the election.

But her re-election is not a foregone conclusion, as some lawmakers within her center-right European populist party may vote against her. She needs a majority of 361 votes to secure a second term.

The German politician has been praised for her leadership during the coronavirus crisis, when the European Union bought vaccines en masse for its citizens. But she has also found herself under fire for opaque negotiations with vaccine makers.

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The European Union’s General Court ruled on Wednesday that the Commission did not give the public sufficient access to information about Covid-19 vaccine purchase agreements it concluded with pharmaceutical companies during the pandemic.

Following European Parliament elections, EU leaders agreed on who will fill key posts in the world’s largest trading bloc in the coming years on issues ranging from antitrust investigations to foreign policy. Alongside von der Leyen will be two new faces: Portugal’s António Costa as president of the European Council and Estonia’s Kaja Kallas as the world’s largest trading bloc’s top diplomat.

While Costa’s nomination only needed the approval of leaders, Kallas will also need the approval of European lawmakers later this year. The Estonian prime minister is a staunch supporter of Ukraine and a fierce critic of Russia within the European Union and NATO.

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Corder reported from The Hague, Netherlands. Samuel Peterquin of The Associated Press in Brussels contributed reporting.

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