Germany's Von der Leyen secures powerful EU executive top job

By Foo Yun Chee

 

Elected European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech after a vote on her election at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, July 16, 2019. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler

 

STRASBOURG (Reuters) - Germany's Ursula von der Leyen secured European parliamentary approval on Tuesday to become the first female European Commission president on a platform of a greener, fairer and rule-based Europe.

 

The German conservative got the thumbs up from socialist and liberal lawmakers which, together with the endorsement by her fellow conservatives, gives her a stronger mandate to tackle issues such as climate change, trade and maintaining democracy in the European Union.

 

Rejection by the EU legislature would have been a painful blow for a bloc beset by challenges ranging from trade to Brexit and erosion of democratic norms, and a headache for EU leaders who would have had to come up with another candidate in a month.

 

As head of the EU executive, von der Leyen will be in charge of trade negotiations, economic and climate policy for 500 million Europeans and antitrust rulings involving powerful tech giants.

 

She secured 383 votes to 327 against, said David Sassoli, speaker of the assembly. The threshold was 374.

 

With 52% support, von der Leyen's victory margin was in line with recent trends. Current Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker received 56% while his predecessor Jose Manuel Barroso had 52% for his second mandate and 56% for his first term.

 

"The trust you placed in me is confidence you placed in Europe. Your confidence in a united and strongEurope, from east to west, from south to north," said the German conservative, who earlier this week resigned as Berlin's defence minister. "It's a big responsibility and my work starts now."

 

"Let us work together constructively because the endeavour is a united and strong Europe," added von der Leyen, who will take up her new role on November 1.

 

The German politician, who has said she is open to giving more time to Britain to negotiate its exit from the bloc, said she would work "in a constructive way" with any new British prime minister.

 

She declined to say whether she would rather see the favourite Boris Johnson or current foreign minister Jeremy Hunt become the new British leader.

 

UNCONVINCED GREENS

Greens lawmakers, who voted against von der Leyen, questioned her ability to carry out her promises. Some of the plans would need backing from EU countries that typically are wary of ceding more powers to the EU executive.

 

"Good intent alone is not enough. We were elected on an agenda for change and we did not hear enough on our key demands, namely on concrete proposals to avert climate breakdown," Greens party leader Ska Keller said.

 

The European United Left-Nordic Green Left was scathing.

 

"We will resist von der Leyen's status quo policies that have entrenched inequality and fuelled the far right," its president Martin Schirdewan said.

 

The liberal group Renew Europe and the Socialists and Democrats Group had earlier announced support for the 60-year-old Von der Leyen regardless of the EU lawmakers' decision.

 

Earlier on Tuesday, she set out her climate goals, going further than current targets, in a bid to convince both socialists and liberals. She had already pledged the ambitious targets in letters to the two groups the previous day.

 

Her plans include making Europe the first climate-neutral continent in the world by 2050, launch a Green Deal for Europe in her first 100 days in office, turn parts of the European Investment Bank into a Climate Bank and introduce a Carbon Border Tax.

 

Von der Leyen promised to defend the rule of law, took aim at U.S. tech giants' low tax bill in Europe and said she would update EU-wide norms for tackling the migrant issue.

 

In her biggest cross-party promise, von der Leyen offered to help allow the EU parliament the right to propose new legislation - currently the Commission's prerogative.

 

(Additional reporting by Alissa de Carbonnel, Philip Blenkinsop and Gabriela Baczynska in Brussels and Alexandra Regida and Peter Maushagen in Strasbourg; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-07-17

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Disgusting rotten to the core!

This year we have one candidate, and the winner is............oh surprise, Ursula von der Leyen.

But she had some fierce competition......oh..wait a sec.

A GERMAN! Now the Brexiters have another reason to leave. Bye bye! We won't miss you.

She received 383 votes, with 327 votes against, and 22 abstentions or blank votes.

 

The Polish Pis (Euros sceptics) backed her, many Greens did not.

 

 

1 minute ago, OneMoreFarang said:

A GERMAN! Now the Brexiters have another reason to leave. Bye bye! We won't miss you.

The reason remains the same. This shining example of EU democracy reinforces that reason even more - a lot of Britons will have looked at this vote for the first time and are now able to realize what a sham it is.

take us out 31st oct boris PLEASE

11 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

A GERMAN! Now the Brexiters have another reason to leave. Bye bye! We won't miss you.

AND I WON,T MISS THE EU

She did really well to win, did she not?  Now then, how many candidates were there?  None!  Oh just her then.  I see democracy in action................

16 minutes ago, Libai said:

She did really well to win, did she not?  Now then, how many candidates were there?  None!  Oh just her then.  I see democracy in action................

Indeed - at least we in the UK have 2 high quality, hugely principled candidates to choose from for next PM. Oh wait, we don't get to choose. It is down to 0.1% of the electorate to choose. And neither could be thought of to be even remotely high quality or principled. Oh, and the government doesn't have a majority mandate to govern but took taxpayers' money to bribe some backwards thinking, terrorist supporting creationists to prop them up. Democracy in action, indeed.

1 hour ago, Libai said:

She did really well to win, did she not?  Now then, how many candidates were there?  None!  Oh just her then. 

And, so what? What’s your point? 

1 hour ago, Libai said:

I see democracy in action................

I am not a fan of her, quite the opposite. But she was democratically elected, 383 MEP voted for her. 

1 hour ago, vogie said:

This year we have one candidate, and the winner is............oh surprise, Ursula von der Leyen.

That's Democracy, EU style.

1 minute ago, JonnyF said:

That's Democracy, EU style.

Yes, a majority of 383 voted for her. 

How many voted for the UK’s head of state? Oh, wait...

What a farce.

Funny to see the Europhiles defending this sham, this fake democracy, while simultaneously rubbishing the Brexit vote where 33.5 million members of the public voted.

 

With every day that passes I'm happier to be leaving the protectionist racket that is the EU.

12 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

Yes, a majority of 383 voted for her. 

How many voted for the UK’s head of state? Oh, wait...

I don't think they knew what they were voting for.

 

Second vote please, let's call it the Legislature's vote.

1 hour ago, vogie said:

This year we have one candidate, and the winner is............oh surprise, Ursula von der Leyen.

There were about 8 candidates.  The political representatives from the 27 member states democratically representing over 300 million people unanimously chose her.  More democratic than your darling Boris’ “election”.  Can’t wait for 31/10 when the EU can finally be rid of the England (they’ll be keeping Scotland and a united Ireland) 

A German

wants an army

and a united Europe

funny how history repeats itself

11 minutes ago, Paul52 said:

There were about 8 candidates.  The political representatives from the 27 member states democratically representing over 300 million people unanimously chose her.  More democratic than your darling Boris’ “election”.  Can’t wait for 31/10 when the EU can finally be rid of the England (they’ll be keeping Scotland and a united Ireland) 

It reminds me of the song 'Behind Closed Doors'.

Nice try at baiting, but Scotland and NI ain't going anywhere, the will remain part of our union who voted to leave the undemocratic EU.

2 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

A GERMAN! Now the Brexiters have another reason to leave. Bye bye! We won't miss you.

Oh it gets worse. One of the biggest fears for Brexiteers is the formation of a European army, which Germans have previously mooted.

 

Every previous EU president has wanted to leave their own particular legacy on the EU, their personal pet project.

 

Now I wonder what legacy the former German Defence Minister is likely to want to leave on the EU?

 

Brexiteers are turning in their shallow graves.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, nauseus said:

now able to realize what a sham it is.

But the UK stayed in the EU long enough to participate in the election.

Such hypocrisy.

2 hours ago, schlog said:

Disgusting rotten to the core!

Agreed. The whole thing was planned before the election. There was no need to vote.

5 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

But the UK stayed in the EU long enough to participate in the election.

Such hypocrisy.

We're still in the EU. Do you really think that those Brexit party MEPs are going to give up their cushy jobs for the next 5 years?

 

If Brexit wasn't dead before, it is now.

Again Nigel Farage nails it.

 

48 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

And, so what? What’s your point? 

I am not a fan of her, quite the opposite. But she was democratically elected, 383 MEP voted for her. 

She had no competition. And the Visegrad countries were bought to support her. Hated Orban and Co. will dictate the rule now. 

Brilliant, and remainers can't see it.......Mind boggling....

24 minutes ago, petemoss said:

Oh it gets worse. One of the biggest fears for Brexiteers is the formation of a European army, which Germans have previously mooted.

European army? But without the Germans and without Austrians due to lack of working equipment.

Just now, Letseng said:

European army? But without the Germans and without Austrians due to lack of working equipment.

No, the French and British have bigger and better armies than the Germans/Austrians. Does Germany have Trident missiles?

2 hours ago, nauseus said:

The reason remains the same. This shining example of EU democracy reinforces that reason even more - a lot of Britons will have looked at this vote for the first time and are now able to realize what a sham it is.

Please tell me: How many Brits do currently decide who your new prime minister will be?

It would be laughable if it wouldn't be so serious.