The new European Parliament held its first plenary on the week of the 15th of July. Several key positions have been decided that week.
President of the European Parliament: Roberta Metsola (EPP, Malta). After her initial election to the position in January 2022, Roberta Metsola was re-elected with 562 votes in her favor and will continue in the role for another 2.5 years.
Before the vote, Metsola expressed her desire to “build bridges between what people expect from Europe and what we can offer”. “I will never shy away from taking the difficult decisions”, she added. Following her re-election, she addressed the MEPs, “together, we are stronger and better. Ours is a Europe for all”.
As President of the European Parliament, she represents the Parliament in dealings with other EU institutions and directs its activities. She will also chair plenary sessions and declare the EU budget adopted.
Vice-presidents of the European Parliament: Vice-Presidents can replace the President, including to chair plenary sittings and in representing the Parliament at specific ceremonies or acts, when necessary.
Sabine VERHEYEN (EPP, DE)
Ewa KOPACZ (EPP, PL)
Esteban GONZÁLEZ PONS (EPP, ES)
Katarina BARLEY (S&D, DE)
Pina PICIERNO (S&D, IT)
Victor NEGRESCU (S&D, RO)
Martin HOJSÍK (Renew, SK)
Christel SCHALDEMOSE (S&D, DK)
Javi LÓPEZ (S&D, ES)
Sophie WILMÈS (Renew, BE)
Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ (Greens/EFA, RO)
Roberts ZĪLE (ECR, LV)
Antonella SBERNA (ECR, IT)
Younous OMARJEE (The Left, FR)
President of the European Commission: Ursula von der Leyen. With 401 votes in her favor, she will continue to lead the European Commission for another term.
In her speech before the vote, von der Leyen outlines her vision for a stronger, more prosperous, and united Europe. Highlighting prosperity and competitiveness as her first priority, von der Leyen stressed the need for a deeper integration of the single market. She emphasized the importance of reconciling climate protection with economic growth through the European Green Deal, asserting, "our focus will be to make it happen on the ground".
Von der Leyen called for more investments, and more public funding, proposing the creation of a new European competitiveness fund. "We need more investment capacity," she declared. "The future of our prosperity must be made here in Europe."
Addressing security and defence, von der Leyen expressed unwavering support for Ukraine, stating, "Europe will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes." She advocated for the creation of a European Union of Defence and highlighted the necessity of strengthening Frontex and creating a single defence market to enhance the effectiveness of defence expenditures.
Von der Leyen's speech touched on several social and environmental issues, including the future of farming, water resource management, and the housing crisis. Addressing the mental health crisis, von der Leyen proposed a Europe-wide inquiry on the impact of social media on young people. She reiterated the need to fight against violence, close the pay and pension gap, and develop a roadmap for women's rights, stating, "If not now, when then?"
Finally, Von der Leyen warned of unprecedented threats to democracy and proposed a European Democracy Shield to combat disinformation and foreign interference. She underscored the importance of protecting free media, civil society, and the rule of law, making it clear that respect for the rule of law is a prerequisite for accessing EU funds.
As a conclusion, "let us make the choice of strength, let us make the choice of leadership, and let us make the choice of Europe", she urged.
As President of the Commission, von der Leyen sets the EU's legislative agenda and represents the Commission in dealings with the other EU institutions, as well as in summits with non-EU countries. She will also decide on the organisation of the Commission and allocate portfolios to individual Commissioners.
Following Wednesday’s decision by plenary on the structure and size of Parliament’s standing committees and subcommittees, the political groups and the non-attached members appointed the MEPs assigned to each of them. Find the list of all EP committees and subcommittees and the list of their members on their respective homepages.
All committees will hold their constitutive meetings on Tuesday 23 July, when they will elect their Chairs and Vice-Chairs.
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