In an unopposed election, Ursula von der Leyen “won” re-election by the European Parliament as President of the European Commission on July 18. Some made the absurd claim that she has a strong mandate from her first term. Of course, this is pure European Union doublespeak—had it not been for the Greens, who had voted against her in her first term but switched in this election, she would have lost.
Out of 701 votes, von der Leyen received 401; 284 voted against; 15 abstained; and 7 ballots were void. A majority of 360 was required to win. Nonetheless, von der Leyen suffered some serious defections in her own pro-European alliance made of the center-right European People’s Party (EPP), the Liberals, and Socialists. Those defections would have caused her defeat but for the fact that 45 of the 53 Greens voted in her favor. All the parties that voted for her are among the EU war party.
