Ursula von der Leyen Secures Historic Second Term as EU Leader
The European Parliament decided on Thursday to grant a new five-year mandate to Ursula von der Leyen from Germany, to lead the European Commission.
401 European deputies voted in favour, 284 against, and 15 abstained.
The European Parliament deputies expressed their choice through a secret vote.
Thus, Ursula von der Leyen became the first woman to secure two consecutive terms as head of the European executive, ensuring continuity in EU leadership during a period of economic and geostrategic challenges.
Initial Report:
The European Parliament began the voting procedure on the proposal for Ursula von der Leyen to obtain a new mandate as President of the European Commission.
The vote is secret, with ballots placed in envelopes that are then put into transparent ballot boxes. The result is expected around 14:30 local time (15:30 our time).
To be elected President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen (65 years old) needs at least 361 votes from the 720 European deputies.
Before the procedure began, the European Parliament rejected a proposal from the Left group to postpone the vote on Ursula von der Leyen's candidacy, citing the previous day's announcement from the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU), which found irregularities related to the transparency of contracts concluded by the European Commission for purchasing anti-COVID-19 vaccines.
Who is Ursula von der Leyen?
Ursula von der Leyen was a member of the German Bundestag from 2009 until 2019 and a federal minister in Germany for over 14 years, responsible for Family Affairs (2005-2009), then Labor and Social Affairs (2009-2013), and later Defense (2013-2019).
She completed her medical studies with a state exam and obtained a licence to practise medicine in 1987, followed by a Master in Public Health and a doctorate. She has been a member of the CDU since 1990. Between 2003 and 2005, she was a member of the CDU Parliamentary Group in the Regional Parliament of Lower Saxony.
In 2019, she was elected President of the European Commission. As head of the European executive, she defined six main objectives for Europe during her term: the European Green Deal, a Europe adapted to the digital era, an economy that works for people, a stronger Europe in the world, promoting our European way of life, and a new push for European democracy.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
