The German politician staked her campaign on defense, competitiveness, and housing, vowing to fight for a democratic and “strong” Europe
Ursula von der Leyen has been reelected for a second term as European Commission president, following a vote at the European Parliament on Thursday.
The German politician secured a majority of the vote, with 401 out of 707 MEPs in favor of appointing her for another five years at the helm of the bloc. A total of 284 MEPs voted against the move, while 15 abstained.
In her nearly hour-long speech at a plenary session ahead of the vote, von der Leyen pledged to fight for a democratic and “strong” Europe, promising to make housing, competitiveness, and defense the priorities for her new term. She also focused on plans to boost bloc-wide defense capabilities and outlined her aim of turning the EU into a “defense union” with a “single defense market.”
The climate agenda and environmental protection, which…