Which MEPs backed Ursula von der Leyen’s second Commission term?

Germany’s Ursula von der Leyen has won a 2nd word successful office, aft a Wednesday ballot astatine the European Parliament. 

Her squad of 27 Commissioners are present acceptable to commencement enactment arsenic of Sunday, 1 December — moving Brussels’ astir almighty institution, and proposing and implementing EU laws for the adjacent 5 years. 

Here’s 3 things to cognize astir her triumph today.  

1. It was a constrictive victory

With 370 votes successful favour, and 282 votes against, the caller EU enforcement has, successful humanities terms, conscionable scraped in.  

It’s little than the 401 votes she mustered successful July, successful a concealed ballot intended to corroborate her arsenic Commission President, and little enactment than incoming chiefs gained successful 2010, 2014 oregon her ain archetypal word successful 2019. 

In ineligible terms, each that matters is that she won the bulk of votes cast. Including those who didn't fuss to amusement up, lone 51.3% of the enclosure voted for her, but that’s inactive capable to warrant the caller Commission volition instrumentality bureau this Sunday, 1 December.  

In portion that reflects a much fragmented chamber, aft June elections saw a emergence successful enactment for the eurosceptic right.

But it besides foreshadows a tricky five-year term, successful which idiosyncratic pieces of authorities volition request to question majorities connected an advertisement hoc basis, including from MEPs who didn’t ballot for her.

2. A centrist conjugation remains, with expanding polarisation

Von der Leyen has said she’s blessed to cooperate with immoderate enactment that’s pro-European, pro-Ukraine and pro-rule of law.

In practice, she inactive enjoys coagulated enactment from 3 main centrist parties.

A boycott by centre-right MEPs from Spain and Slovenia – successful protestation astatine the prime of socialists Teresa Ribera and Marta Kos arsenic Commissioners – meant her enactment was really proportionally stronger successful wide Renew conjugation than her ain European People's Party.

But the enclosure has besides seen accrued polarisation of late.

Issues that antecedently drew consensus, specified arsenic the greenish deal, are present highly divisive, arsenic seen successful a caller arguable ballot that saw the EPP and parties further close voting to hold and h2o down EU anti-deforestation laws.

Since July, von der Leyen has seen enactment crumble from the Greens, conscionable implicit fractional of whom person present voted for her.

But that’s been partially compensated by backing from the right-wing Conservatives and Reformists, ECR, wherever she has unanimous enactment from the nationalist delegation of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

3. Support varies wildly crossed Europe

Some countries’ MEPs are chaotic astir von der Leyen – others are distinctly lukewarm.   

She commands wide enactment from MEPs successful the Nordics, Baltics, Netherlands, Italy and Portugal, and a narrower bulk from Poland and her autochthonal Germany.  

But successful France, conscionable 18 retired of 81 MEPs – each from her ain EPP oregon President Emmanuel Macron’s Renew — supported her, the lowest proportionality for immoderate subordinate state; her backing is besides debased successful Belgium and Hungary.  

Some MEPs person pointed to the comparatively airy portfolio handed to France’s Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné arsenic a crushed for that negativity.

But it whitethorn besides bespeak the peculiarly fractious authorities of Parisian authorities astatine the moment. June elections saw a important emergence for parties connected the far-right, and wherever socialists are presently protesting the fragile number authorities led by Michel Barnier.