With 401 votes in favor, the European Parliament re-elected Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission during a secret ballot held on 18 July.

This marks von der Leyen’s second term as Commission President, following her initial election by MEPs in July 2019.

The Parliament currently has 719 MEPs, meaning a majority of 360 votes was required for the election. In the vote, 401 MEPs supported von der Leyen, 284 opposed, and 22 cast blank or invalid votes.

Before the vote, von der Leyen outlined her political priorities for the next five years during a debate with MEPs.

Next Steps

Following her election, the Commission President-elect will now send official letters to the heads of state or government of EU member countries, requesting their nominees for the European Commissioner positions. After the summer, the Parliament will conduct hearings for these candidates in the relevant committees. The full college of Commissioners will then require Parliament’s endorsement. Further details are available in Parliament’s press kit.

Background

Article 14 of the Treaty on the European Union states that the European Parliament “shall elect the President of the Commission.” Ursula von der Leyen, first elected in 2019, was the EPP’s lead candidate in the European elections held from 6 to 9 June.

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