Von der Leyen elected for second term as European Commission president

Outgoing president required support from majority of European Parliament’s 720 MEPs

Ursula von der Leyen has been elected for a second term as European Commission president, after securing the backing of a majority of MEPs in a crunch vote.

She will have a further five years to steer legislation at the helm of the EU’s main executive body.

First elected in 2019, von der Leyen led the EU's executive arm during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, positioning herself as a staunch supporter of Kyiv.

The 65-year-old German politician was supported by 401 European Parliament members (MEP) in a secret vote, with 284 voting against.

Von der Leyen's European People's Party (EPP) came first in the European elections in June, which resulted in the continued dominance of centrist forces in spite of the growing number of far-right MEPs.

More to follow.