European Parliament Endorses Von der Leyen’s New Commission

The European Parliament gave its approval to Ursula von der Leyen’s new College of Commissioners on Wednesday, ensuring that her team at the helm of the European Commission is set to take office on December 1. The vote marks the beginning of Von der Leyen’s second term as President of the European Union’s executive body.
According to Reuters, a majority of 370 lawmakers voted in favor of the new Commission, while 282 opposed it, signaling a clear endorsement of Von der Leyen’s leadership amid complex challenges both within Europe and on the global stage. The formal appointment of the new Commission will be completed through a qualified majority vote by the European Council.

“Today is a good day for Europe,” the President of the European Commission said in a post on X.

Von der Leyen has pledged an ambitious agenda for her first 100 days in office. Key priorities include proposals to advance the EU’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, strengthening European defense capabilities, presenting a vision for the future of EU agriculture, and delivering reports on the bloc’s planned enlargement.

Von der Leyen had announced the new composition back in September, which consist of six executive vice presidents, four women and two men, with 11 women in total on the Commission, making up 40% of its composition.

Among the President’s new college of Commissioners is Greece’s Apostolos Tzitzikostas, an economist from Greece’s ruling New Democracy party and affiliated with the European People’s Party, who was appointed Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism. In her presentation she added that Tzitzikostas will be “responsible for mobility of goods and people. These are essential sectors for our competitiveness but also for our transitions for connecting people and driving local economies.”