In a vote on the cabinet proposed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, 370 MEPs voted in favor, 282 against, and 36 abstained. The Commission will commence its work on December 1 with a mandate lasting five years.
The new head of the European Commission introduced her team and program, noting that they incorporated suggestions from parliamentarians. According to her, the Commission's first initiative will be a "competitiveness compass" aimed at closing the technological gap between Europe, the U.S., and China, as well as reducing dependency on Russia for gas supplies. She committed to maintaining a "green" energy policy and initiating strategic support for the European automotive industry.
Discussing Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East, she stated that strengthening Europe's role in these matters is "more necessary than ever," urging EU countries to increase their defense spending.
"War rages at Europe's borders. We must be prepared for what lies ahead, working hand in hand with NATO. We know that we, as Europeans, need to do much more together. Just one statistic: Russia spends up to 9% of its GDP on defense. Europe spends, on average, 1.9%. There is something wrong in this equation. Our defense spending needs to increase," the politician addressed the deputies.
She presented Andrius Kubilius as the first European Commissioner for Defense. In the first 100 days, the defense team of the European Commission promises to provide a plan for the future of EU defense.
Von der Leyen also mentioned the appointment of former Estonian President Kaja Kallas as the head of European diplomacy and Vice President of the European Commission, calling her "the right person at the right time for diplomacy and Europe's interests in the world."