Following a debate with Ursula von der Leyen on her new team and programme, MEPs elected the College of Commissioners as a whole by roll-call vote. 370 MEPs voted in favour, 282 against, and 36 abstained.

To be confirmed, the College of Commissioners needed a majority of the votes cast (rule 129.7 of the EP Rules of Procedure).

This will be her second term as Commission President, following the approval of her first Commission by MEPs in November 2019.

Debate with MEPs before the vote

Ahead of the vote, she presented her team and programme, wherein she confirmed the portfolio changes requested by MEPs in the course of Parliament’s evaluation process. “We are ready to get to work immediately", she said, stressing that her Commission will always be devoted to fighting for freedom, sovereignty, security and prosperity.

Von der Leyen announced that the Commission’s first initiative will be a competitiveness compass, to close Europe’s innovation gap with the US and China, to increase security and independence and to deliver on decarbonisation. On the European Green Deal, she said, “we must and we will stay the course on its goals”. She committed to presenting a clean industrial deal, launch a strategic dialogue on the future of Europe’s car industry, continue working on a competitive circular economy, and work towards a European savings and investment union.

On the ongoing wars in Ukraine, the Middle East and parts of Africa, von der Leyen said that “Europe must play a stronger role in all of these areas”, stressing that it is “needed more than ever”. Strengthening our security is crucial, she said, calling on Europe to spend more on defence. “Europe’s security will always be this Commission’s priority", she added.

In the subsequent debate, some MEPs stressed the need for the new Commission to begin addressing the challenges Europe is facing quickly. They called on the Commission to improve European competitiveness in the light of intensifying global competition, to implement the European Green Deal, to ensure energy independence, and to build a defence union in response to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Others signalled their disapproval of the new College of Commissioners.

Next steps

After its formal appointment by the European Council via a qualified majority, the new European Commission is expected to take up its duties on 1 December 2024.

The proposed College of Commissioners was assessed by MEPs in dedicated public hearings between 4 and 12 November. Candidates submitted themselves to European Parliament committee hearings to assess their suitability and their ability to carry out the duties linked to the portfolios to which they had been assigned.

Parliament’s Conference of Presidents declared the hearings closed and published the evaluation letters of all Commissioners-designate on 27 November.

Results of previous Commission investiture votes:

11/2019 Ursula von der Leyen 461 in favour, 157 against, 89 abstentions (EP seats 751)

10/2014 Jean-Claude Juncker 423, 209, 67 (EP seats 751)

02/2010 José Manuel Barroso 488, 137, 72 (EP seats 736)

11/2004 José Manuel Barroso 478, 84, 98 (EP seats 732)

09/1999 Romano Prodi 510, 51, 28 (EP seats 626)

01/1995 Jacques Santer 417, 104, 59 (EP seats 567).

See for details AVIONEWS.