European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen faces vote on her bid for second 5-year term
Associated PressJUL 2024
Ursula von der Leyen Re-elected as European Commission President
Above: Ursula von der Leyen reacts after being reelected to a second 5-year term as head of the European Commission during the plenary session of the European Parliament on July 18, 2024 in Strasbourg, France. Image copyright: Johannes Simon/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Von der Leyen comfortably won reelection as Europe's democratic center joined forces to defeat extremist political forces that would have torn the bloc apart and destroyed the European way of life. As it currently faces both internal and external challenges, Europe needs continuity and stability — and the leadership of von der Leyen will be key to ensure that.
Establishment-critical narrative
European voters shifted to the right in June only to see the European establishment undemocratically push EU decision-making further to the left to maintain their power by a thin margin — even at the cost of continuing disastrous climate policies. People want change, but broken political systems keep producing the opposite results.