"Strong EU to Confront Far-Left and Far-Right," von der Leyen, Will She Be Reappointed?

"We have won the election. The centrist bloc is holding firm."

In the European Parliament elections that concluded on the 9th (local time), as expected, the rise of far-right forces was confirmed, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Union (EU) Commission, emphasized her intention to seek reappointment with a de facto victory declaration. Von der Leyen, who is likely to be reappointed as EU Commission President, is the leading candidate from the center-right European People's Party (EPP), which retained its position as the largest party in the Parliament in this election. However, she repeatedly expressed concerns about the emerging far-right forces.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Despite Far-Right Rise, Von der Leyen Says "The Centrist Bloc Is Holding Firm"

According to The Guardian and others, Von der Leyen stated in a speech that night, "Today is a good day for the EPP. We have won the European Parliament election." She evaluated that this election sent two messages. First, the centrist bloc is holding firm. Also, it is true that both the far-left and far-right gained support, which places greater responsibility on centrist parties.

Von der Leyen warned of the recent rise of far-right populist forces in Europe, saying, "The world around us is in turmoil." She added, "What European citizens expect is a strong Europe. We will build a bulwark against the extremes of left and right," and "We will stop them."

Furthermore, she urged other centrist parties to support her reappointment as Commission President, saying, "My goal is to continue on this path with pro-Europe, pro-Ukraine, and pro-rule of law supporters."

In the European Parliament elections held from the 6th to the 9th, far-right political forces achieved overwhelming victories in major countries such as Germany, France, and Italy, showcasing their momentum. However, the center-right EPP, to which Von der Leyen belongs, is expected to maintain its position as the largest party in the European Parliament, strengthening her chances of reappointment.

The 27 EU heads of state and government will hold an informal summit in Brussels, Belgium, on the 17th to begin discussions on leadership formation based on this election. The candidate for Commission President, the head of the EU executive, is expected to be confirmed at the EU summit on the 27th-28th. The candidate agreed upon at the summit must then be approved by a vote in the European Parliament, requiring the support of at least 361 out of 720 members. The new Commission is expected to officially launch on December 1.

Von der Leyen on the Test Bench, Securing Seats Is Key

Especially, major foreign media have analyzed that the approval of the EU Commission President could become the first test for centrists depending on the far-right's gains in this election. Politico reported that even if the three-party coalition holds more than 400 seats, if 10% defect, Von der Leyen's reappointment would fail. The outlet described Von der Leyen as "the winner of this election," but also noted that "she must secure more than 361 seats in the Parliament through negotiations with the center-left and liberal camps in the coming weeks."

It is understood that about 100 members from the EPP and the center-left/liberal groups did not vote for Von der Leyen in the 2019 election. Earlier, reports emerged that French President Emmanuel Macron is backing former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi as the new Commission President.

The New York Times (NYT) stated, "Von der Leyen, who was approved by a margin of just 9 votes five years ago, will have to engage in intensive lobbying for reappointment," and analyzed, "(With the EPP expected to remain the largest party) having narrowly avoided needing to bring in the far-right, she may now face demands from far-right forces on issues such as climate policy."

Meanwhile, according to the European Parliament's projected seat analysis updated as of 1 a.m. on the 10th, the EPP is expected to secure 189 seats (26.25%) out of the total 720 seats. The center-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and the centrist liberal Renew Europe (RE) are expected to maintain their positions as the second (135 seats) and third (83 seats) largest parties, albeit with fewer seats than before.

The far-right forces made gains. The hard-right European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and the far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) political groups are expected to increase their seats from 69 and 49 to 72 and 58, respectively. The number of seats held by far-right parties not belonging to existing political groups, such as Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD), which was expelled from ID, also expanded. Politico Europe diagnosed that "the political center of Europe is shifting to the right." The European Parliament is scheduled to announce the final results reflecting the vote count on the morning of the 10th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.