VdL Delivers Speech To MEPs Ahead Of Vote On Second Term

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen isdelivering a speech to the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg ahead of the 1300CET (0700ET, 1200BST) vote that will decide if she is confirmed for another term in office. With full attendance, von der Leyen would need 361 votes to be re-elected. The three main moderate blocs combined have 401 MEPs, but given that it is a secret ballot it is expected that a reasonable amount of those on the centre-left will vote against. As such, winning over Green MEPs or conservatives in the ECR could be required.

• The full set of political guidlines for her Commission (should she be re-elected) can be found here.
• The guidlines try to tread a fine line between winning over MEPs on the left and the right. She has promised 30k noew Frontex guards and “...a new common approach on returns [of illegal immigrants], with a new legislative framework,” - key demands of the right of her centre-right European People's Party (EPP), while leaving out of her speech mention of transfers of migrants to non-EU countries as not to antagonise the centre-left S&D.
• As Jeremy Cliffe at the Open Society Foundation notes on X: "Von der Leyen's stall for 2nd term as Commission president towards upper end of expectations where green policies are concerned, including 90% emissions cut by 2040 enshrined in new Climate Law (contentious with her own EPP but core demand of Green MEPs)"