Ursula von der Leyen has secured another five-year term as the President of the European Commission, the EU’s powerful executive body. The decision came after a vote by the 720-member European Parliament, where she received 401 votes in favor, surpassing the required threshold of 361 votes.
During her previous term, von der Leyen navigated significant challenges including Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, and tensions with Russia over Ukraine. She has been a prominent advocate for the EU’s ambitious green deal, aiming to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.
Her re-election coincided with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosting European leaders to discuss pressing issues such as migration, energy security, and geopolitical concerns related to Russia. Starmer seeks to strengthen UK-EU relations following Brexit.
Von der Leyen, a 65-year-old German politician, was endorsed by EU leaders at a summit last month. Her candidacy was backed by the European People’s Party, maintaining her support base as the largest political group in the EU Parliament.
Looking ahead, von der Leyen emphasized the critical nature of the next five years in shaping Europe’s future on the global stage. She highlighted the importance of European unity and proactive leadership in defining the continent’s trajectory for decades to come.
She reiterated the EU’s support for Ukraine against Russia’s aggression and condemned Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s recent visit to Moscow as an “appeasement mission.” Von der Leyen also called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to end the war.
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