Von der Leyen will be re-elected Commission President, says EU’s longest-serving Commissioner

EU centre-right European People Party’s (EPP) candidate Ursula von der Leyen will almost certainly get enough support from member states and the European Parliament to be re-elected Commission President, Johannes Hahn, the EU’s longest-serving Commissioner, said on Tuesday (11 June).

In a briefing to reporters, the EU Budget chief Johannes Hahn noted that the size of EPP’s victory in the European elections makes her re-appointment a virtual certainty.

“To be honest, I don’t expect anything else than the nomination of Ursula von der Leyen,” said Hahn.

“My understanding is that several key players, leaders from other political groups have already acknowledged the fact that EPP has won the elections and has the right to nominate the Commission President.”

Hahn, who is from the centre-right Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP, EPP), added that he was “very optimistic” that the Parliament will confirm von der Leyen’s re-appointment in a plenary session in mid-July.

To be re-elected, von der Leyen requires the support of 15 out of the EU’s 27 leaders, representing at least 65% of the bloc’s population. She must then win a simple majority vote in the 720-seat Parliament.

The first informal discussions over the EU top jobs are expected to take place on Thursday, between the leaders of France, Italy and Germany on the sidelines of a G7 meeting.

French President Emmanuel Macron is leaning towards backing Von der Leyen; the coalition government in Berlin has set high demands in return for their approval, while Italy’s leader Giorgia Meloni has said it’s still “too early” to discuss the topic.

The talks will continue on June 17 at an informal EU leaders’ meeting before a formal gathering in Brussels at the end of this month.

According to the latest election results, von der Leyen could rely on a majority of pro-EU groups such as the EU socialists (S&D) as well as the liberal Renew group to win re-election.

“We [EPP] will now approach the large political families who also worked well with us in the last mandate […] These are the Social Democrats and the Liberals,” Von der Leyen said on Monday.

Repeating earlier comments, Hahn also criticised EU policymakers’ “obsession” with limiting the bloc’s regular budget to no more than 1% of annual GDP, suggesting that additional funds will need to be found to finance increases in defence spending.

“I don’t see how this can be covered by 1% if cohesion [policy] and agriculture remain as an important block, which obviously will be the case. So in that respect, I think a lot of discussions are necessary,” he said.

Hahn is set to retire this year after serving as a Commissioner since 2010.

[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos/Rajnish Singh]

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