On 2 July 2019, Ursula von der Leyen was nominated by the European Council for the Presidency of the European Commission.

If confirmed by the European Parliament, she will be the first woman and the first German since Walter Hallstein to hold the office.

She is a German politician, serving as Minister of Defence since 2013 and is a member of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

Ursula von der Leyen

The European Parliament elects the President of the European Commission. First opportunity is the July II session (15-18 July).

After the elections, one of the first tasks of an incoming Parliament is to elect a new President of the European Commission (the EU’s executive body). Member States have already nominated a candidate for the post: Ursula VON DER LEYEN, former German Federal Minister for Defense.

Moreover, Parliament needs to approve the new President of the Commission by an absolute majority (half of the existing MEPs plus one). If the candidate does not obtain the required majority, the Member States need to propose another candidate within a month's time (European Council acting by qualified majority).

Appointment of the President of the European Commission

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, will deliver her first State of the European Union Address on 16 September 2020.

Every year in September, the President of the European Commission delivers his State of the European Union Address before the European Parliament, taking stock of achievements of the past year and presenting priorities for the year ahead. The President also sets out how the European Commission will address the most pressing challenges the European Union is facing. The speech is followed by a plenary debate.

State of the European Union 2020

During the plenary session in November II 2019, Ursula von der Leyen,&nbsp;President-elect of the EC, presents her team and programme. Parliament voted the entire list of candidates proposed by the President-elect and the Council by simple majority in a roll call vote. The college of Commissioners and their programme is approved. Results of the vote: 461 in favour, 157 against and 89 abstentions.

Parliament’s Conference of Presidents declared the Commissioner-designate hearings process complete on Thursday 21 November 2019.

The new European Commission officially takes up its duties on 1 December 2019.

Election of the 2019-2024 Commission

EU Leaders meet in Budapest for an informal European Council meeting. Competitiveness is on top of the agenda and is discussed in depth during an informal meeting of Heads of State or Government on 8 November 2024, which is expected to result in a ‘Budapest Declaration’.

Informal European Council in Budapest

Parliament to vote on Ursula von der Leyen’s nomination for Commission President

If elected by MEPs on Thursday, Ursula von der Leyen is set to return to the office of European Commission President for the next five years.

At 09.00 on Thursday, she will take the floor in Parliament’s plenary session and outline her vision and plans as Commission President, followed by a debate with MEPs.

The vote by secret paper ballot will take place at 13.00, following the debate. 

Background
Article 14 of the Treaty of the European Union provides that the EP “shall elect the President of the Commission.” In practice, based on Parliament’s Rules of Procedure (rule 128), the candidate proposed by the European Council has to present their political guidelines to Parliament, followed by a debate. Parliament then elects the President of the Commission by a majority of its component MEPs - i.e. 361, in a Parliament of 720 Members. If the candidate does not obtain the required majority, the President will invite the European Council to put forward another within one month, for election in accordance with the same procedure.

Ms von der Leyen has been Commission President since 2019 and was the EPP’s lead candidate in the 6 - 9 June European elections.

Election of the President of the European Commission

EP Plenary session - Council and Commission statements - Presentation of the programme of activities of the Hungarian Presidency

Press conference on the suggested structure and portfolios of the college of Commissioners

Meeting of the Conference of Presidents in presence of Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission on the confirmation hearings process

Roberta METSOLA, EP President meets with Ursula von der LEYEN, President of the European Commission

Press conference - Election of the President of the European Commission

EP Plenary session - Statement by the Candidate for the Presidency of the European Commission (2024-2029)

Meeting of the Conference of Presidents with Ursula von der Leyen

Before the European summit, European People's Party leaders meet in Brussels. This news item shows the arrival and doorsteps of Roberta METSOLA, EP President and EU leaders.

EPP leaders meet ahead of the European Council meeting: arrivals and doorsteps

This news item shows the extracts of the debate between MEPs, the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor ORBÁN, and the European Commission President Ursula VON DER LEYEN on the programme for Hungary’s six-month Council Presidency that started on 1 July 2024. The Hungarian government has announced the following priorities for its six month Presidency: a new European competitiveness deal; boosting European defence policy; a consistent and merit-based enlargement policy; stemming illegal migration; shaping the future of cohesion policy; a farmer-oriented EU agricultural policy; and addressing demographic challenges.

Presentation of the programme of activities of the Hungarian Presidency: extracts from the debate

MEPs discuss with Viktor ORBÁN, Hungarian Prime Minister, the programme for Hungary’s six-month Council Presidency that started on 1 July 2024. The Hungarian government has announced the following priorities for its six month Presidency: a new European competitiveness deal; boosting European defence policy; a consistent and merit-based enlargement policy; stemming illegal migration; shaping the future of cohesion policy; a farmer-oriented EU agricultural policy; and addressing demographic challenges. Opening statements by Viktor ORBÁN, Hungarian Prime Minister and by Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Presentation of the programme of activities of the Hungarian Presidency: opening statements by Viktor ORBÁN, Hungarian Prime Minister and by Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC

This News items shows the arrivals Ursula VON DER LEYEN, Roberta METSOLA and political groups’ leaders, and a roundtable of the meeting of the Conference of Presidents. President of the Commission von der Leyen discusses with the suggested structure and portfolios of the college of Commissioners with Parliament’s Conference of Presidents (President Metsola and political groups’ leaders). This meeting opens the evaluation process, including the confirmation hearings, once Parliament receives all the necessary documentation.

This memoclip shows extracts from Romano Prodi's tenure as President of the European Commission, focusing on the relationship with the European Parliament. Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission from 1999 to 2004, played a key role in the introduction of the euro and led the EU's largest expansion, welcoming ten new member states. His leadership was instrumental in promoting economic integration and strengthening the EU’s global influence, while his vision of a more united Europe helped shape the Union's political and economic future.

Memoclip: Romano PRODI, former President of the European Commission (1999-2004), and the European Parliament

With 401 votes in favour, the European Parliament elected Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission in a secret ballot on 18 July. Following the election, Roberta Metsola, EP President, and Ursula von der Leyen hold a press conference in Strasbourg. This will be Ursula von der Leyen’s second term as Commission President. She was first elected by MEPs in July 2019. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Joint press conference by Roberta METSOLA, EP President and Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President-elect of the European Commission

Roberta METSOLA, EP President, and Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President-elect of the European Commission, give a joint press conference after the reelection of Mrs VON DER LEYEN, as EC President. The Commission President-elect will now send official letters to member state heads of state or government inviting them to put forward their candidates for European Commissioner posts. Parliament will then organise nominee hearings in the relevant committees after the summer. The full college of Commissioners then needs to be endorsed by Parliament. Extracts from the press conference.

Election of the President of the European Commission: extracts from the joint press conference by Roberta METSOLA, EP President and Ursula von der LEYEN, President-elect of the European Commission

This news item shows extracts from the arrival of Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President-elect of the European Commission, to the hemicycle, announcement of the results and congratulations by political group's leaders and MEPs to her after being elected by the Parliament. Parliament elects Ursula von der Leyen as President of the Commission in a secret ballot. The Parliament is currently composed of 719 deputies, so the majority required for its election was 360 votes. 401 deputies voted in favour, 284 against and 22 voted blank or invalid. The President-elect of the Commission will now send official letters to the Heads of State and Government of the Member States inviting them to put forward their candidates for the posts of European Commissioners. Parliament will then proceed to hear the candidates in the relevant committees after the summer.

VON DER LEYEN, Ursula (DE, EC)

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