Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected president of the European Commission

The European Parliament approved the candidacy of Ursula von der Leyen for the position of President of the European Commission. This will be her second five-year term in office.

401 MEPs voted for the appointment of von der Leyen, and 284 — against. The vote was secret.

In her pre-election program, von der Leyen promised to strengthen the EUʼs defense policy, to introduce positions of defense commissioners in the European Commission, and to promote the integration of Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and the countries of the Western Balkans into the EU.

She also talked about reducing red tape in the EU, investing in defense and protecting farmers.

The appointment of von der Leyen does not mean the start of the work of a new European Commission. The European Parliament still has to approve the nominations of all commissioners, which could take weeks.

President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola congratulated von der Leyen on his re-election. In her opinion, it proved her "strong leadership and steadfast values in times of trial." During her presidency, von der Leyen "led" the EU through the COVID-19 pandemic and the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.

• For the first time, Ursula von der Leyen became the president of the European Commission in July 2019. She became the first woman to head the European Commission.