The day of the vote in the European Parliament has arrived, not only for the renewal of Ursula von der Leyen’s term but also for the European Union’s next steps.
Today, the 720 MEPs comprising the new European Parliament will be called to approve or reject the European Council’s proposal for a second term for the German politician as President of the European Commission.
The vote on von der Leyen’s re-election hangs in the balance, with yesterday’s decision by the European Court of Justice to annul her choice to conceal certain parts of the COVID-19 vaccine contracts – which came after a Green MEPs’ appeal – weighing on her position.
Von der Leyen requires the support of at least 361 out of the 720 Members of the European Parliament, with backroom negotiations continuing until the last minute.
In addition to her own party, the European People’s Party (EPP), the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), and the liberals of Renew Europe are likely to support her, following her commitment not to officially collaborate with far-right forces in the next legislative body, such as the lawmakers of the far-right ‘Brothers of Italy’ party led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
It is noted that the three centrist groups hold a total of 401 seats, enough to secure von der Leyen’s victory. However, it is believed that some dissatisfied members within these groups may vote against her.
For a comfortable victory, she may need support from sections of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) or the Greens, with the latter considered key players in the vote.
In this context, von der Leyen sought to secure additional votes from the Greens and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) by exchanging policy commitments in exchange for their backing.
In Strasbourg, however, it is debated that the key will be von der Leyen’s major speech this Thursday morning, in which she will set out her priorities for the five-year term, followed by the discussion within the political groups that are still undecided.
