Ursula von der Leyen has been elected for a second term as European Commission president after securing the support of the Greens to shore up a comfortable win in a crucial confirmation vote.
A majority of the European Parliament backed the centre-right German politician, with 401 MEPs voting for Ms von der Leyen to continue as the head of the EU’s executive arm. Some 284 MEPs voted against the commission president. The results saw her pass the 361-vote threshold she needed to win in the 720-seat parliament by a margin of 40 votes.
Speaking afterwards Ms von der Leyen said her victory sent a strong message that the centre was holding in European politics. “Our democracy is under attack from inside and outside, therefore it is crucial that the democratic forces stand together,” she said.
[ Von der Leyen makes policy pledges ahead of voteOpens in new window ]
In a speech ahead of the vote Ms von der Leyen promised the EU would do much more in areas such as housing and defence if she was given a second term as commission president. Her plans included creating a new EU commissioner role that had responsibility for housing and a commitment to build a “European defence union,” where countries would “pool” resources to fund big projects such as a joint air defence shield.
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The governing majority in the European Parliament of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), centrists Renew and the centre-left Socialists & Democrats command about 400 votes together. Fears that some in that number would rebel and vote against the commission president meant she spent weeks trying to pick up votes from elsewhere.
The left-wing Greens group, which opposed her appointment five years ago, decided to back Ms von der Leyen this time in a move that likely delivered the commission president the necessary majority of MEPs in the vote.
[ Analysis: Second term will enhance von der Leyen’s ability to shape policy Opens in new window ]
In a statement minutes before voting started the Greens group of 53 MEPs said it would support Ms von der Leyen, after securing commitments on climate policy and the rule of law. Bas Eickhout, co-leader of the European Greens, said the group had taken a “leap of faith” that Ms von der Leyen would not backtrack on commitments to climate reform when in power. The Dutch MEP said talks between the group and Ms von der Leyen over recent weeks had “created a lot of trust”, but the Greens would be “very vigilant”.
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni’s hard right Brothers of Italy party did not lend its support to the commission president, its MEPs said afterwards.
Ms von der Leyen’s speech contained several policies seen as a likely effort to court votes from Ms Meloni’s party. She promised tougher policies to tackle “irregular migration”, a tripling of EU border patrol staff, and committed to create a new EU commissioner portfolio responsible for the Mediterranean crossing point.
Ciaran Mullooly, an Independent Ireland MEP who sits in the Renew group with Fianna Fáil, decided to vote against Ms von der Leyen, meaning 10 of Ireland’s 14 MEPs did not support the commission president.
The others who voted against her include the four Fianna Fáil MEPs, Barry Andrews, Barry Cowen, Billy Kelleher and Cynthia Ní Mhurchú. Labour’s Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Independents Michael McNamara and Luke “Ming” Flanagan, and the two Sinn Féin MEPs Lynn Boylan and Kathleen Funchion also voted against Ms von der Leyen.
The four Fine Gael MEPs – Nina Carberry, Regina Doherty, Seán Kelly and Maria Walsh – voted in her favour.
Ms von der Leyen had been put forward to lead the commission for a another term following a summit of the 27 EU leaders in late June.
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