Ursula von der Leyen has been reconfirmed as the head of the European Commission for a second five-year term, after winning a comfortable majority on July 18th. The plenary session in Strasbourg saw 401 MEPs voting for her, forty more than she needed to secure her position. This victory marks a stark contrast to her narrow win in 2019, when she only just scraped through with nine votes.
However, von der Leyen’s challenges are far from over. In her next term, she will have to navigate a complex political landscape, not just within the European parliament, but across the entire EU. The balancing act she had to perform to bring different political factions together will need to continue as she addresses various issues facing the bloc.
With the confirmation of her second term, questions arise about what lies ahead for von der Leyen and what her key challenges are likely to be. The upcoming period will require her to demonstrate strong leadership and diplomacy in order to navigate the complexities of EU politics.
As she embarks on this new phase of her leadership, all eyes will be on von der Leyen to see how she tackles the crucial issues facing the EU and whether she can stay the course amidst the challenging political landscape.
Watch the video by FRANCE 24 English
Video “Five more years for Ursula von der Leyen: Can EU Commission chief stay the course? • FRANCE 24” was uploaded on 07/19/2024 to Youtube Channel FRANCE 24 English