Ursula von der Leyen emphasises importance of EPP for EP future

Ursula von der Leyen, the lead candidate for the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), has just addressed supporters at the party’s headquarters in Brussels after a first estimate showed it remains the strongest formation in the European Parliament, with 181 MEPs.

“No majority can be formed without the EPP,” she declared amid chants of “Ursula, Ursula!”

“We are the strongest party. We are the anchors of stability and voters acknowledge our leadership in the last five years,” she went on. “We were determined, we were united, we made it!”

Von der Leyen, who is vying for a second term at the top of the European Commission, reflected on her campaign, during which she visited 17 member states and 31 cities. “This was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in my political life. This was really great,” she said, noting she had sensed a “lot of confidence and trust” in the EPP and the European Union. “And tonight, this is confirmed,” she told supporters.

Recently, von der Leyen has been criticized for making overtures to the hard right of Italian premier Giorgia Meloni in a bid to secure the necessary votes she needs to become president of the European Commission again. In her address, she attempted to strike a centrist position, saying that “together with others, we will build a bastion against the extreme from the left and from the right. We will stop them, this is for sure!”