On 16 July 2019, the European Parliament’s three biggest political groups in terms of seats, the EPP (Christian-Democrats), the S&D (Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats), and the Renew Europe (successor to the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group), backed the EU Council candidate for the position of President of the EU Commission. Current German Defense Minister and former Labor Minister, Ursula von der Leyen will be the first female to hold the position of President, albeit with just 383 votes won, she only narrowly exceeded the required majority of 374. Her pre-vote statement where she shared her ‘vision for Europe’, and detailed her priorities including the environment and social issues fell short of wooing the Greens and nor was she able to gain support from the radical Left. The Eurosceptic and Nationalist groups also refused their backing.
Ms. Von der Leyen is the candidate put forward by the EU Council, which represents the various EU governments. Euro deputies (and especially the Greens) expressed their discontent that the government and State leaders had successively sidelined the candidates the major political groups had put forward. As could be seen from her thin majority, voting instructions clearly had not been followed by the parliamentary political groups that backed the future President (EPP, S&D, Renew Europe), and...
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