Von der Leyen's second term in office
Mastering challenges with changed political forces.
IW – 11/2024
The European Union (EU) is facing a new chapter in its political history. At the start of her second term of office, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is focussing on change and setting new standards for transparency and cooperation within the EU. However, she already had to overcome the first hurdles when appointing her Commission members: different national interests, political alliances and the challenge of maintaining a gender balance have characterised the negotiations for the Commission posts. The key to success? Compromise and clarity in the midst of challenges.
New balance of power = New challenge
Ursula von der Leyen has already shown herself to be a determined leader in her first term of office. However, in view of the changed domestic political and geopolitical situation in Europe, she will not have an easy job over the next five years. The results of the European elections and many national elections have made it clear that citizens are increasingly attracted to populist and anti-European parties. This has changed the balance of power in the European Parliament and, above all, in the Member States. The decisive factor for Ursula von der Leyen will therefore be whether and with which majorities she can push through her goals and visions.
Discussion about Commission posts
That this will not be easy has already become clear when putting together her team. After months of negotiations and discussions about the distribution of responsibilities and the gender balance, von der Leyen presented her new team after the summer break. More than half of the Commissioners-designate belong to the EPP family. This was no great surprise in view of the EPP's electoral success. However, Giorgia Meloni's proposal to appoint the right-wing Italian politician Raffaele Fitto as one of the six Executive Vice-Presidents was met with protests. The same applies to the appointment of the Health Commissioner-designate Olivér Várhelyi, who is close to the Hungarian Prime Minister. However, the nomination was not arbitrary but von der Leyen's attempt to do justice to the Member States where Eurosceptic voices have become louder.
Von der Leyen continues to expand her own power
With the introduction of her new team, von der Leyen also presented fundamental changes in the European Commission. The structure of the College has been streamlined, the role of the Vice Presidents strengthened and the allocation to the various departments revised. New portfolios and closer co-operation between the departments are to increase efficiency. Von der Leyen is strengthening her own position by appointing loyalists to key positions, marginalising critics and creating a complex system of dependencies and overlapping responsibilities in which no one can gain too much influence.
Tug of war between the political groups
However, with the presentation of the von der Leyen team, it quickly became clear that confirmation by the European Parliament would not be a sure-fire success. Even though – unlike in the past – no candidate had to be replaced, the path to an agreement was characterised by political power games. The EPP refused to agree to the nomination of Spanish Social Democrat Teresa Ribera, who was accused of serious failings in connection with the flood disaster in Valencia. And the S&D blocked the nomination of the highly controversial Italian Raffaele Fitto. The nomination of Henna Virkkunen and the designated Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi was also put on hold briefly.
The breakthrough finally came with a joint declaration in which the three pro-European political groups – EPP, S&D and Renew – agreed on general guidelines on migration, the economy, the welfare state, environmental protection, the rule of law, geopolitics, the multiannual financial framework and EU reforms. Minor changes to the Health Commissioner's portfolio also made it possible to overcome the blockades. On 27 November, the European Parliament finally gave the green light for the official nomination with 370 votes from MEPs from the EPP, S&D, Renew, ECR and the Greens, meaning that the EU Commission can take up its work as planned on 1 December.
In the coming weeks, the new EU Commission will present its agenda and set the course for the coming years. We can look forward to seeing which initiatives and reforms the Commission will pursue in order to overcome the challenges of the future.