On Monday, the 19th of February, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen won the support of her German centre-right Christian Democrat Union (CDU) party for a second term in office, putting her in a position to lead the European Union (EU) executive for another five years, reports Reuters.
She is now also likely to become the candidate of the European centre-right grouping, the European People’s Party (EPP).
“I have taken a very conscious and well thought-out decision. I want to run for a second term and I am very grateful to the CDU for nominating me today as the EPP’s main candidate,” von der Leyen was quoted as saying at a press conference after the party’s meeting in Berlin.
As the first woman to hold the post, von der Leyen led the EU during the pandemic, Brexit and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
If re-elected, she will be tasked with strengthening Europe’s security in the face of Russia’s actions and the possible return of former US President Donald Trump.
At the Munich Security Conference over the weekend, von der Leyen announced that the Commission will propose a defence strategy focusing on increased spending and efficiency through joint procurement and agreements to ensure predictability in the sector.
The 27 EU leaders will choose the Commission President after the European Parliament elections in June.
The candidate of the party that comes first in the EU elections is usually chosen and with the EPP leading in the polls and von der Leyen enjoying broad support among EU leaders, she would seem likely to win another term, according to Reuters, but her main challenge could be to win majority approval for the Commission she will lead in Parliament.
During her term, von der Leyen led a major EU scheme which saw the EU take on hundreds of billions of euros in collective debt to finance the continent’s recovery from a pandemic. She also oversaw a programme to jointly purchase coronavirus vaccines, which was criticised.
She strongly supported Ukraine by imposing sanctions on Russia, providing aid and pushing for Ukraine’s EU membership.
Von der Leyen defended the “Green Deal” of climate policy as a strategy for economic growth and job creation facing growing political opposition.
Von der Leyen’s re-election prospects depend on winning the support of right-wing groups sceptical of the Commission’s green programme. But the next Commission is likely to face an even tougher political battle to adopt any more green rules.
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