The European Parliament re-elected Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission with 401 votes in favor, 284 against and 15 abstentions. Seven invalid ballots. There were 707 voters. The minimum majority required for election was 360. A long applause in the Strasbourg hemicycle followed the announcement of the results of the vote to reconfirm Ursula von der Leyen as head of the EU Commission. MEPs from the Greens, Socialists, Liberals and Populars stood up. Frost from the Patriots and the far right. The MEPs of Fratelli d’Italia sat without applauding.
The vote in favor of the Greens was decisive for Ursula von der Leyen’s encore. This is what emerges from an initial analysis of the number of votes. The German received 401 votes, largely exceeding the necessary threshold of 360. With the announced support of the Greens, the majority she could count on with the People’s Party, Socialists and Liberals would have reached the theoretical quota of 454 votes. On paper, the snipers are therefore over 50.
“Another 5 years. I don’t know how to express how grateful I am for the trust of all the MEPs who voted for me”. Ursula von der Leyen wrote this on X after obtaining a second term at the helm of the European Commission. In the next few minutes, the president is expected at a press conference in Strasbourg. “The last time I had 8 votes above the majority, this time 41: it’s much better. And it also sends a message of trust and demonstrates the work we have done together in Parliament. “The result shows that the approach” towards Fratelli d’Italia and Giorgia Meloni “was the right one. We worked hard throughout the electoral campaign to unite democratic forces and have a majority in the center for a strong Europe”, she explained. “The approach was to tell all those who are in favor of Europe, Ukraine, the rule of law, that we offer to work together. And today’s result, I think, speaks for itself. It was the right approach”, she emphasized.
Lega: “Bad news for Italy”
“The confirmation of Ursula Von der Leyen is bad news for European citizens and for Italians in particular, especially for the dangerous support of leftists and eco-fanatics. The vote of millions of voters who asked for change and who will now suffer the wicked choices of green extremists has been betrayed”. This is a note from the League.