The candidate for the seat of the head of the EU Commission promises to the Parliament on progress in climate protection, Migration and social balance. This will have to do the skeptical groups? Bernd Riegert from Strasbourg.
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Determined appearance: Ursula von der Leyen in front of the European Parliament
Your application speech before the European Parliament, the candidate Ursula flavored von der Leyen, with examples from your personal life, and a pinch of passion. She told the Packed plenary of the Syrian refugees in your family has taken. She told of their seven children, the urge you in view of the climate crisis, as, to rights, to act now. “Don’t wait any longer, makes something out of it”, the 60-year-old CDU politician, the requirement of your children. This is what she wants to implement, probably, should be of at least 374 members of the evening as the first woman in the post of EU Commission President-elected.
“I was born a European, and only learned later that I’m also German and low Saxon,” said Ursula von der Leyen. She is the daughter of one of the EU officials in Brussels and later as Prime Minister of lower Saxony career. Like her father, Ernst Albrecht, the German Minister compares the European Union with a long marriage. “Love is not stronger than on the first day, but they will be deeper,” she says. You know that you could argue in Europe, but you know that you can reconcile. The EU was important and did not confer responsibility, writes the candidate. The unique model of the social market economy must be defended in spite of the challenges in a global, digitalized world.
“Fair and equal” should it go in Europe, when it comes to von der Leyen. “Passionate” would you fight for a United Europe. She was a fierce opponent of the “divide and weaken” in Europe, called for the end of the world in Strasbourg in the direction of the populist eurosceptics and EU opponents in the European Parliament. For that it gets a strong round of applause from the social Democrats and the Greens.
With clenched fists: Von der Leyen wants to argue for a United Europe
A list with promise
The still undecided members of Parliament, especially in the case of the social Democrats, with 153 votes, trying to bait the President of the Commission, in spe with a series of fairly specific promises. Ursula von der Leyen offers a “Green Deal” to combat global warming. You want to enforce a C02 reduction target of at least 50 percent by the year 2030. By 2050 the EU economies in a climate-neutral. You want to call a Fund for climate-friendly investments, to be able to in ten years a trillion Euro mobilize. The group chief of the Greens, Philipp Lamberts, it is not enough, however. To him, the objectives of the Leyens are too “vague”. The Greens, Lamberts could not vote for the German candidate. “The protection of species you have not even mentioned”, writes Lambert.
SPD is no
The socialists and the liberals, a strengthening of European democracy and of the European Parliament promises of the Leyen. EU citizens should bring in a “conference for Europe” and their proposals. In the future, only “top candidates” of the parties, it should be after the European elections to the EU Commission President-elected. Exactly this model has failed in the case of your own choice Yes. Just two weeks ago, the state conjured up of government and heads of Ursula von der Leyen as a candidate to the Commission presidency as part of a larger staff package out of the hat. The top candidates were simply swept aside. Due to this procedure, the European Council, the 16 social Democrats from Germany to reject, the choice of conservative German politician. “It’s not the end of the world as a Person,” explained the SPD-deputies, Katarina Barley, but of principle. “It’s going to be a soft position in the European Union, it’s about the balance of power between the European Parliament and the Council.”
Thumbs up to the socialists? Group head of Iratxe Garcia Perez has not yet decided (archive)
No Mercy for the rule of law
The socialist group as a whole wants to consult in the afternoon, about their voting behavior. The Spanish group, head of Iratxe Garcia Perez gave in your response to of Leyens speech much milder. “I am pleased that we agree,” said Garcia, for example, with a view to joint occupation of the new EU Commission, with 14 women and 14 men, of the announced by the Leyen. Also the controversial subject of Review of the rule of law in Poland or Hungary, Ursula went from the hesitant socialists. “There must be no compromises and it is not,” said von der Leyen.
This is likely to upset the national conservative from Poland and Hungary, which told of the Leyen in the last week supposedly something else. You want to decide in the afternoon on their voting behavior.
Commitment to the rescue of refugees
The candidate made in your speech, no doubt, that it holds the sea rescue of refugees and migrants in the Mediterranean sea, unlike the right-wing populists of the Lega in Italy, more is urgently needed. “Europe must human have limits,” said von der Leyen. You want to conclude a new Pact for asylum and migration policy in the EU, in order to bring the completely deadlocked discussions on the distribution of asylum seekers again. “We need a fair sharing of the burden,” she said. The asylum law needed to be respected. The Frontex border protection force, the EU should not increase until 2027, but will already be 2024 10,000 people demanded the candidate. The member States of the EU had failed so far.
Of the Leyens statements on asylum policy and further European Integration were the German right-wing populists of the AfD, Jörg Meuthen, to announce that his group would vote against the candidate. “Lord Meuthen, I’m relieved that I’m getting from you is no voice, because that is the opposite of what I want,” said von der Leyen, to great applause.
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Of the Leyens charm offensive
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Of the Leyens charm offensive
Result in the evening
At the end of your speech, the occasion, Ursula von der Leyen, French, English and German, collected the members of their own group, the Christian Democrats, to a standing ovation. The 183 votes seems to have sure. Otherwise, much is still open. You definitely need the consent of the liberal group, and the larger part of the socialists. Observers in Strasbourg to be expected with a narrow majority in the evening. Which member will end up as votes, you will not know. The ballot is secret. As a result, is expected around 19:30 CEST.
Should be rejected von der Leyen, would have to propose to the European heads of state and government within four weeks of a new candidate, which in view of the tough effort last Time very difficult. Is elected by the Leyen, it begins in September, therefore, the EU-Commission to compile and takes over on 01. November office. From her post as defence Minister in the CDU-politician will resign on Wednesday, no matter how the vote turns out. Everything will be on the European map.