Ursula von der Leyen has been re-elected as President of the European Commission with 401 votes in favor, 284 against, and 15 abstentions. Seven ballots were null. Out of 707 voters, the minimum majority required for the election was 360. Fdi voted against Von der Leyen.
THE VIDEO
Nel gruppo Ecr maggioranza delle delegazioni voterà contro. I Verdi Ue sosterranno ufficialmente von der Leyen. Fidanza: ‘Fdi voterà compatta, il cosa ve lo diremo dopo’
In a special meeting of the Ecr group, following the debate on the political orientations of the candidate for the position of President of the Commission, “a large majority of national delegations confirmed that they will vote against Ursula von der Leyen. As on the occasion of the last election of the President of the Commission, the group will allow a free vote,” announced the Conservatives and Reformists in a statement.
The group of Greens in the European Parliament has officially decided to support Ursula von der Leyen for a second term at the helm of the European Commission, the group announced after a meeting. “As part of the four-party majority, we have secured commitments on the Green Deal, making the EU more socially just and protecting democracy. We keep the far right out of power,” the group declared.
“Fdi will vote united. There is no freedom of vote in the delegation, we will all vote together,” said Fdi delegation leader in the European Parliament Carlo Fidanza at the end of the last meeting of the melonians before the vote on Ursula von der Leyen. “What will we vote? We’ll tell you later,” he added.
URSULA VON DER LEYEN’S SPEECH
Members of the European Parliament dedicated a long applause to the former President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned during the speech of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen in the Strasbourg plenary.
“Choices define destiny and in a world full of challenges, destiny depends on what we do now. Europe is facing a decisive choice that will define our position in the world in the next five years. Europe cannot control dictators and demagogues in the world, but can choose to protect our democracy,” said Ursula von der Leyen in her candidacy speech for the presidency of the Commission at the European Plenary, emphasizing the need for a choice for a “strong Europe.”
Von der Leyen announces a “Vice President for Implementation, Simplification, and Interinstitutional Relations” among the tasks of the next EU executive. “We must make businesses faster and easier in Europe. I will put speed, coherence, and simplification among the top political priorities,” von der Leyen points out in her political guidelines, indicating that “each commissioner will be tasked with focusing on reducing administrative burdens and streamlining implementation: less bureaucracy and reporting, more trust, better enforcement, faster authorizations.”
“I am convinced that the post-World War II version of Europe is still the best version of the EU in history. I will not let the extreme polarization of our society be accepted and I will not accept that extremism or demagoguery destroy our European way of life,” von der Leyen reiterated, delivering her speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg for the reconfirmation at the helm of the Commissio.
“Our competitiveness needs a strong push: the foundations of the global economy are changing: those who stand still will fall behind, those who are not competitive will be dependent. The race is on, and I want Europe to change gears,” she emphasized. “Our first priorities” in the next mandate “will be prosperity and competitiveness,” she underscored.
“Two weeks ago, a European leader went to Moscow – von der Leyen then said referring to Viktor Orban-. This so-called peace mission was merely a mission of acquiescence, appeasement, a policy of excessive concessions.” “Just two days later, Putin’s jets hit a children’s hospital. It was a message from the Kremlin to chill us all. No one wants peace more than Ukraine, and the EU will support Ukraine as long as necessary,” she emphasized.
In the coming years, “Next Generation EU will end, but our investment needs will not,” Ursula von der Leyen stated in her candidacy speech for a second term in front of the plenary of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. “To leverage private investments, we also need public funding,” she highlighted.
“The goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040 will be enshrined in our EU climate law,” von der Leyen confirmed.
“The bloodshed in Gaza must stop, here and now. Humanity cannot endure further. We are working for more support for the Palestinian National Authority,” she added in her speech. “The two-state solution is the best way to ensure security for both Israelis and Palestinians. The people of the region deserve peace and prosperity, and the EU will stand by them,” she further added.
“I will appoint a Commissioner for the Mediterranean focusing on investments and partnerships, economic stability, job creation, energy, security, migration, and other areas of mutual interest, respecting our values and principles,” reads the political guidelines of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, for the next five years of tenure. The future commissioner, as specified by von der Leyen, will work closely with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
“We must prevent external actors from interfering with our democratic processes; the European Commission will propose a European democratic shield”. “Our democracies are in danger today, our journalists, whose work I applaud, face cases of espionage and disinformation campaigns by foreign actors, especially Russian and Chinese. Never have hybrid attacks been at this level,” she added.
“We will tackle the scourge of cyberbullying, act against the design of platforms that induce addiction, and convene the first EU-level inquiry into the impact of social media on young people’s health,” von der Leyen also stated. “Childhood and adolescence are periods of extraordinary development but also vulnerability, and we see more and more reports on the mental health crisis. Social media, excessive screen time, and addiction practices have run their course.”
“Our community is not only the result of history but of our will.” These are the words of Jacques Delors that Ursula von der Leyen quoted at the end of her candidacy speech in the European Parliament. “The last five years have shown what we are capable of when we work together, so let’s continue working together, make a leadership choice, choose Europe,” she concluded.
Patriots shout ‘Bravo Orban’ after von der Leyen’s condemnation
Applause and shouts of “Bravo Orban” were heard in the Strasbourg plenary from the seats of the Patriots as the president condemned the Hungarian prime minister’s trip to Moscow. The shouts were drowned out by a long applause from the Plenary to the words of the Commission president, who strongly criticized Viktor Orban’s trip to Moscow.
Applause for von der Leyen, but not from Lega and Patriots
After ten minutes of speech by the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in the Strasbourg plenary, the Members of the European Parliament had already given 6 long applause to the president. However, none of the MEPs sitting in the Patriot seats, including the League members, applauded.
Von der Leyen’s 30-page guidelines, ‘the EU’s choice’
“Europe is now facing a clear choice. The choice to face the uncertain world around us alone. Or to unite our societies and rally around our values. A choice to let extremists and appeasers prevail. Or to ensure our democratic forces remain strong”. This is stated in Ursula von der Leyen’s political guidelines, which emphasizes: “the best choice is Europe.” “It is essential that the democratic center in Europe holds. But if this center is to hold, it must rise to the concerns and challenges facing citizens,” the document says.
The President-designate of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, commits to stay on course with the European Green Deal and intends to launch a plan for a clean industry within the first 100 days of the mandate. This is stated in the guidelines for the next five years of tenure published before the debate in the European Parliament Plenary. “This will pave the way towards the goal of reducing emissions by 90% by 2040, which we propose to incorporate into our European climate law,” stated von der Leyen, who also announced that she will propose a law to accelerate industrial decarbonization.
“Looking to the future – as mentioned in the political guidelines -, the Clean Industrial Deal must allow us to invest more together in clean and strategic technologies and energy-intensive industries” and “for this, I will propose a new European Competitiveness Fund under our proposal for a new and strengthened budget.” “Regarding public funding and investments, the first priority will be to ensure the use of available resources through NextGenerationEU and the current budget,” she highlighted.
The latest contacts of Ursula von der Leyen with political groups took place until shortly before the publication of the political guidelines. Among these contacts, explain European sources, there was also a conversation between the President-designate of the Commission and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The phone call, it is explained, took place yesterday late in the evening. Von der Leyen, like all other interlocutors, explained that there would not be any changes in her speech at the Plenary compared to what been discussed in recent days.
The speech on von der Leyen’s political guidelines was, according to the same sources, the result of days of work, calibrated in every respect to meet the demands of the political forces with whom the President of the Commission intends to dialogue. Among these forces is also Brothers of Italy, and it is no coincidence – it is emphasized – that the text has emphasized the migration dossier as well as the Mediterranean area, to which von der Leyen intends to dedicate a dedicated portfolio. Each paragraph took into account the requests that von der Leyen received in meetings with the groups: the ad hoc Commissioner for Housing, for example, is a demand that the socialist group strongly advocated for. A demand which the President wanted to accommodate.
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