MEPs approve Ursula von der Leyen’s European Commission
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MEPS in Strasbourg on Wednesday, MEPs voted in favour on the entire College of Commissioners following a debate with von der Leyen.
There was no doubt that von der Leyen’s Commission will get through today so a lot of the talk in the Parliament is about the size of her majority.
461 of the lawmakers in Strasbourg voted in favor, 157 against and 89 abstained. Von der Leyen only needed a simple majority to secure confirmation as commission president.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is congratulated by European Parliament President David Sassoli after the vote of Members of the EU Parliament on her college of commissioners, in Strasbourg, France, 27 November 2019. EPA-EFE/PATRICK SEEGER
“Our union will embark on transformation that will touch every part of our society and economy and we will do it because it will be the right thing to do, not because it will be easy,” she said ahead of the vote.
She pledged “transformation which will touch every part of our society and our economy.”
“We are ready, Europe is ready. My message is simple: Let’s get to work,” she added.
The commission will begin on December 1. Von der Leyen will have three executive vice-presidents: Valdis Dombrokvskis (Latvia), Frans Timmermans (Netherlands) and Margrethe Vestager (Denmark). Dutch socialist Timmermans is in charge of the European Green Deal that Von der Leyen championed.
