Virtually 400 million European residents are because of vote for representatives from their nation to the European Parliament between June 6 and 9. The outcomes of the elections can have an affect on who turns into the following president of the European Fee, one of the crucial highly effective jobs in European politics.
The place is at present held by Ursula von der Leyen, who in 2019 grew to become the primary girl to guide the fee. For her time period to be prolonged to 2029, the EU’s 27 nationwide leaders should first nominate her for the job. Then she have to be backed by a majority of the 720 new European Parliament members.
Final time round, she was not working within the marketing campaign and her nomination got here as a shock. However this 12 months she is the lead candidate for the centre-right European Individuals’s Occasion (EPP) and is doing all she will to spice up what has turn into an more and more shaky bid for a second time period.
There are intense debates amongst nationwide leaders and within the European Parliament over points resembling the way forward for European integration and progress in key areas together with local weather change. It’s wanting like a difficult feat for von der Leyen to construct the bulk she wants in each EU establishments to maintain her job.
She was elected in 2019 by a really slim margin, with a majority of simply 9 votes, even after making substantial guarantees to totally different political teams. The teams that supported von der Leyen final time spherical can have anticipated her to maintain her coverage guarantees, and they’ll assess her efficiency of their choices about re-electing her. So, it is sensible to take inventory of her achievements.
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Von der Leyen has had to answer disaster from virtually her first day within the job. She was confronted by a worldwide pandemic shortly after taking workplace. Then, simply two years later, she was beset with the largest conflict on European soil since 1945.
On the identical time, there’s been democratic backsliding amongst member states, whereas Eurosceptic and populist governments have been delivered to energy in a number of international locations together with Slovakia, Italy, and, most not too long ago, the Netherlands.
Sturdy management is required throughout a disaster, and a powerful chief is actually what von der Leyen has turn into. She performed an important half in creating the EU’s technique for manufacturing and deploying COVID vaccines. And she or he has made strides on reaching “equality for all” – one of many main priorities of her fee.
Lawmakers handed laws selling pay transparency and equality within the job market, and parliament has accepted new guidelines on tackling violence in opposition to girls and home violence.
She has proven sturdy management in response to Russia’s conflict in Ukraine. Von der Leyen was the primary European politician to journey to Kyiv after the invasion, and to boost the concept of Ukraine’s accession to the EU. Her fee was additionally key in getting ready sanctions in opposition to Russia.
The European Inexperienced Deal, which von der Leyen has known as “Europe’s man on the moon second”, was one other key precedence. Underneath her management, the inexperienced deal led to landmark laws that set the EU on the trail to a inexperienced transition.
Nevertheless, a lot of its concrete measures have been torn aside in response to fierce protests from farmers. In 2023, her personal political group, the EPP, joined far-right lawmakers in voting in opposition to a invoice aimed toward restoring the EU’s broken ecosystems. The ultimate textual content included main concessions and the regulation’s targets had been watered down.
Sturdy management in tough instances
Main the EU is like steering an enormous vessel, and stormy waters make it much more tough. When the scenario escalated in Israel and Gaza in late 2023, von der Leyen instantly adopted a pro-Israel stance, ignoring EU member states with totally different positions on Israel and Palestine.
She has additionally usually been criticised over her reluctance to take rule of regulation infringements to the European Courtroom of Justice. Growing numbers of assaults on media freedom in Italy will once more take a look at whether or not von der Leyen will launch a authorized case.
Nevertheless, authorized motion is unlikely because it may hurt von der Leyen’s efforts to safe the help of Italy’s far-right prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, in her bid for a second time period. Throughout an election debate on the European Parliament on Might 23, von der Leyen described Meloni as “pro-rule of regulation”.
Her management type is actually not with out flaws. Her rivals have bemoaned the truth that she communicates with a restricted variety of trusted advisers and isn’t sufficiently linked to her fee.
In an interview with the Monetary Occasions, the centre-left’s lead candidate for the fee presidency, Nicolas Schmit, branded von der Leyen’s type of management as “unacceptable”, saying she has constantly excluded her commissioners from resolution making.
However, general, her response to disaster has been swift and decided, and even critics present some admiration for her work ethic and dedication. The co-chair of the European Parliament’s Inexperienced political group (and therefore not a political ally), Philippe Lamberts, even stated: “She is arguably the very best since [Jacques] Delors.” Between 1985 and 1995, Delors served because the fee president and performed a key function in creating the EU’s single market and financial union.
She has additionally made herself identified to the broader public. In response to a current research, von der Leyen “is now a family identify”. About 75% of Europeans “are in a position to accurately establish von der Leyen’s identify and recognise her face” – a a lot increased share than for any of her predecessors.
Reelection shall be no straightforward job for von der Leyen, regardless of being in pole place and her good efficiency general. But efficiency is only one out of many elements that affect the selection for the EU’s high jobs. By mid-July, we should always know whether or not von der Leyen has performed sufficient.
