A second term for Ursula von der Leyen?
The European Parliament will vote on EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's bid for a second term this Thursday. To secure re-election she needs an absolute majority of votes from the 720 MEPs. As the Parliament gets ready to vote, eurotopics takes a look at a selection of commentaries in the European press.
Can't trust her own party
Von der Leyen is in for a real nail-biter, La Repubblica notes:
“This morning in the plenary chamber, rather than using programmatic arguments she will focus on the consequences of her potential failure. The impact this would have on the EU, its resilience and its future. And how much the sovereigntists could benefit from her fall. All arguments that reveal Von der Leyen's fear. ... In theory, the 'Ursula majority' consists of 401 MEPs. But at least 45 defections are expected: 20 from the EPP (starting with the French), 15 from the PES and 10 from the liberals. Von der Leyen does not trust her own party. ... The Commission President's staff fear the 'revenge' of EPP group leader Manfred Weber.”
Election as a litmus test
The Commission President has managed to reduce her re-election to one simple question, notes Die Presse:
“Ursula von der Leyen has done it. She has turned her re-election as Commission President into a litmus test of who still stands for pro-European and democratic values in the EU and who does not. Whether it's Green MEPs, European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) who claim to be moderate, or the numerous non-aligned MEPs: those who don't want to be banished to the corner of left- or right-wing anti-Europeans will heed her call and give her a second term in office.”
No good alternative
The fact that von der Leyen is being criticised from all political directions actually speaks in her favour, writes the Frankfurter Rundschau:
“Could it be that this woman from Germany is simply trying to find a middle way amid of all kinds of crises? 'A compromise is only perfect when everyone is unhappy,' the French politician, European thinker and Nobel Prize winner Aristide Briand once taught. Nobody needs to jump out of their chair with enthusiasm over von der Leyen's imminent election. A yes prompted by political realism is enough. An alternative candidate who would receive the approval of all EU heads of government is nowhere to be seen.”
Showing Europe's good face
Business newspaper Les Echos comments:
“From the start of the war in Ukraine, when France warned that Putin should not be be humiliated, von der Leyen emerged as a tireless defender of the rule of law and the European model of democracy. She was the driving force behind sanctions and the expansion of our defence efforts. She has shown Europe's good face. ... At a time when public opinion is tiring of supporting Ukraine and Hungary's Viktor Orbán is shamelessly exploiting the rotating EU presidency to kowtow to the Russian president, a re-election of 'VDL' as head of the European Commission would be bad news for the enemies of Europe.”
A slap in the face just before the vote
For Efimerida ton Syntakton, things won't be made any easier for von der Leyen by the fact that the European General Court in Luxembourg has just ruled that her Commission violated EU law by withholding information about Covid vaccination contracts:
“Von der Leyen's track record on transparency and cooperation across the institutions remains a problem for her, but also for many MEPs on both the right and left whose support she'll need to win an absolute majority. The secrets she has kept are keeping lawmakers busy. ... As the chaos grows in the US, even many of her critics have little interest in creating further instability by opposing her.”