Ursula von der Leyen re-elected President of European Commission

Today, July 18, during a European Parliament session, 401 deputies voted in favor of von der Leyen's appointment, while 284 were against. The politician will lead the European Commission for the next five years.

The vote was secret, so it was unclear whether Ursula von der Leyen would secure enough votes for reappointment.

The Ukrainian parliament has already congratulated the politician on her re-election as head of the European Commission.

"Congratulations on being re-elected as President of the European Commission, a great friend and partner of Ukraine, Ursula von der Leyen," reads a message from the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, who was also re-elected to her position, congratulated von der Leyen on her appointment.

"It is a testament to your strong leadership and unwavering values in testing times. Europe stands strong and stands ready," she wrote on X.

About Ursula von der Leyen

Ursula von der Leyen is a German politician from the European People's Party (EPP), a member of the Christian Democratic Union, and served as Germany's Minister of Defense from 2013 to 2019.

She has led the European Commission since 2019. She is the first in EU history to be nominated for a second term.

Von der Leyen has actively supported Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion and has visited Kyiv multiple times. During her re-election campaign, the politician advocated for increased defense spending and did not rule out the possibility of a new war.

She said that she wants to create a European Defense Union during her next term as President of the European Commission.