The former German Defense Minister presented her proposals to the European Parliament, which finally supported her candidacy to continue at the helm of the organization.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, obtained this Thursday (07/18/2024) the confidence of the European Parliament to repeat the position for five more years, thanks to the support of 401 MEPs in a chamber of 720 seats.
Previous hours, Von der Leyen presented her roadmap for the next period with the aim of securing a majority. The former German Defense Minister has headed the European Commission since 2019, when she became the first woman in the position. It has faced several crises, such as the Covid virus pandemic or the war in Ukraine, and also many controversies.
ROADMAP
Within the schedule presented by Ursula von der Leyen is the appointment of a commissioner for the Mediterranean, who will have a broad portfolio of responsibilities in this region to strengthen relations with Europe's southern neighborhood.
The proposal attributes to this new position tasks of investment and partnerships with the countries bordering the Mediterranean, as well as working on their economic stability, job creation, energy, security, migration and other areas of common interest.
To address Europe's housing crisis, von der Leyen said she will appoint a European commissioner whose responsibilities will include addressing the first "European Affordable Housing Plan," for which she intends to work with the European Investment Bank to finance a comprehensive plan that allows investment in affordable social housing.
One of the proposals that stands out in its recent presentation is the intention to appoint a Defense Commissioner, among whose objectives will be to promote a European anti-aircraft shield.
"We need to build common European projects, for example a complete air defense system, not only to protect our airspace, but also to send a clear and strong message of European unity in the field of defense," Von der Leyen said.
Another point addressed by the candidate for re-election of the European Commission is the reform of the European Union budget to reduce the number of programs and include plans for each of the countries with "key" reforms that will be linked to investments. .
THE ENVIRONMENT AS A PRIORITY
Regarding the environment, Von der Leyen proposes a European climate adaptation plan and a water resilience strategy among the political priorities for her second term.
German policy considers that "one of the biggest risks to our security is the impact of climate change" with "devastating" impacts through "floods, fires and droughts."
Addressing this problem involves strengthening civil protection mechanisms, addressing "all facets of crisis and disaster management, along with building community resilience" and improving climate adaptation, that is, preparing for what is to come. to mitigate the crisis by reducing CO2 emissions.
Von der Leyen will have to deal with a growing list of problems, including the war in Ukraine and the risk of a wider conflict in the Middle East, as well as trade tensions between the EU and China.
