European Parliament approves second Von der Leyen European Commission
Members of the European Parliament voted on November 27 to approve the second European Commission headed by Ursula von der Leyen.
Of 688 MEPs voting, 370 were in favour, 282 against and there were 36 abstentions.
Ahead of the vote,Von der Leyen presented her team and programme, wherein she confirmed the portfolio changes requested by MEPs in the course of the European Parliament’s evaluation process.
“We are ready to get to work immediately,” she said, saying that her Commission will always be devoted to fighting for freedom, sovereignty, security and prosperity.
Von der Leyen said that the Commission’s first initiative will be a competitiveness compass, to close Europe’s innovation gap with the US and China, to increase security and independence and to deliver on decarbonisation.
On the European Green Deal, she said, “we must and we will stay the course on its goals”.
She committed to presenting a clean industrial deal, launch a strategic dialogue on the future of Europe’s car industry, continue working on a competitive circular economy, and work towards a European savings and investment union.
On the ongoing wars in Ukraine, the Middle East and parts of Africa, Von der Leyen said that “Europe must play a stronger role in all of these areas”, stressing that it is “needed more than ever”.
Strengthening our security is crucial, she said, calling on Europe to spend more on defence. “Europe’s security will always be this Commission’s priority,” she said.
In the subsequent debate, some MEPs emphasised the need for the new Commission to begin addressing the challenges Europe is facing quickly. They called on the Commission to improve European competitiveness in the light of intensifying global competition, to implement the European Green Deal, to ensure energy independence, and to build a defence union in response to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Others signalled their disapproval of the new College of Commissioners.
