Ursula von der Leyen makes pitch for second term as Brussels chief

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Ursula von der Leyen has promised a “European prosperity plan” if she wins a second term as European Commission president, pledging to reduce regulation and preserve the EU’s “competitive edge” amid fears of the continent falling behind the US and China.

Von der Leyen, who has run the commission since 2019, through the coronavirus pandemic and the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, is aiming to win a second five-year term as the EU’s most powerful official in a vote in the European parliament later on Thursday.

In a pitch to a parliament that has shifted rightward following last month’s elections, she also pledged to create new dedicated European commissioners for housing, defence, EU enlargement and the Mediterranean region with a remit to tackle migration.

A 31-page policy proposal released ahead of the vote referenced “investment” 49 times, appealing to cash-strapped EU governments that want to see long-delayed progress in better integrating the continent’s capitals markets to unlock more private financing for defence, green transition and digital needs.

“Europe needs more investment. From farming to industry. From digital to strategic technologies. But also more investment in people and their skills,” said von der Leyen.

The next EU budget, running from 2028 to 2035, should be more closely linked to respect for the rule of law, she added, as well as making disbursements conditional on reforms and investments, as is currently the case with the EU post-pandemic recovery funds.

“We will keep a very clear principle in our budget: respecting the rule of law is a must for EU funds. In this budget, and in the future,” she told the parliament, to applause.

She also said Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin was “nothing but an appeasement mission”, vowing to maintain EU support for Ukraine’s defence against Moscow.

Von der Leyen needs to win 361 votes from the 720-strong parliament in Strasbourg in Thursday’s secret ballot.

Her policy proposal document, agreed with the three centrist political parties backing her candidacy, is a sharp pivot away from her first term, which was dominated by a sweeping plan to combat climate change.

She said on Thursday that the focus of that Green Deal would switch to implementing existing laws rather than passing new ones.

The proposed defence commissioner, lobbied for by EU capitals owing to Russia’s war and the increasing probability that Donald Trump wins the US election in November and reduces Washington’s commitment to European security, would seek to pool resources on military spending. 

Von der Leyen also proposed a European-wide air defence system and cyber protection as “projects of common European interest” that could attract EU funding.

EU business groups have long complained about Brussels regulations holding them back as they seek to compete with the US and China in emerging industries such as green technologies.

Von der Leyen proposed to charge a commission vice-president with “implementation and simplification” to make this process easier, and called for a new approach to EU merger policies that would allow companies to grow at home and take on global giants.

“We need a competition policy that supports companies to scale up,” she said. “Europe must be the home of opportunity and innovation.”

One member of the European parliament said von der Leyen’s list of promises was “a European Christmas tree” with presents for all parties, while questioning whether it could all be delivered.

For example, it states the new housing commissioner would produce a “European Affordable Housing Plan”, even though housing powers rest with national governments.