© Reuters. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attends the College of European Commissioners’ meeting in Brussels, Belgium March 5, 2024. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
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By Luiza Ilie and Gabriela Baczynska
BUCHAREST/BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Union’s leading political group, the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), was voting on Thursday to endorse European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as its candidate for a second term running the bloc’s executive.
The only candidate in the EPP ballot, von der Leyen listed the war in Ukraine, the crisis in Gaza destabilising the Middle East, and the raise of China as key challenges ahead of the 27-nation EU, a wealthy bloc of some 450 million people.
“And here at home, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s friends are trying to rewrite our history and hijack our future. They are spreading hate from behind their keyboards. Let there be no doubt what’s at stake in this election,” she told a party caucus in Bucharest.
“Our peaceful and united Europe is being challenged like never before by populists, by nationalists, by demagogues… they want to trample our values and they want to destroy our Europe.”
Winning a standing ovation, von der Leyen vowed to advance EU economies, clamp down on smugglers driving irregular immigration to the bloc, strengthen competitiveness, businesses and support farmers as costs of living rise.
She promised more financial and military aid to Ukraine, which has been fighting a war against an invading Russia for more than two years now, and boosting Europe’s defence might.
“Prosperity, security, democracy – this is what people care about in these difficult times,” she said. “In times of change, Europe has your back.”
The EPP vote comes ahead of an EU-wide parliamentary election in June that will lead to the election of new top officials – including the head of the Brussels-based European Commission – for the bloc for the next five years.
Currently seen as a clear favourite to lead the Commission again, von der Leyen would begin a new term as Europe looks to strengthen its defence and security while Russia wages war on its borders and Donald Trump eyes a return to the White House.
If reappointed by leaders of the EU’s 27 member countries, she will have another term charting the bloc’s policies on everything from big tech and state aid to Chinese investment screening and sanctions against Russia.
VON DER LEYEN
A former German defence minister, von der Leyen helped steer the EU over the last five years through the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and a related energy crunch.
The first woman ever to hold the influential job, she saw Britain leave the EU, put into law more ambitious climate and environmental goals, and oversaw massive new spending on energy, health and post-pandemic economic recovery.
EPP delegates started casting their votes on Thursday morning with results due from 1015 GMT. Von der Leyen needs a majority of valid votes cast by the 801 registered delegates, something EPP head Manfred Weber said was bound to happen.
“We support you, you will be a great lead candidate for our EPP family,” he said.
Despite a rise in far-right and populist parties in the bloc, the EPP has kept a clear lead among other political groups ahead of the June vote, according to opinion polls.
Still, securing the necessary majority in the new European Parliament, where eurosceptics are expected to win more seats, might be the biggest hurdle for von der Leyen to clear, possibly forcing her to seek votes beyond the broad political centre.
