Ursula von der Leyen Makes Final Pitch for Second Term Amid Far-Right Gains

Ursula von der Leyen, in her final leadership pitch to the European Parliament, vowed to combat polarization and extremism. Facing a secret ballot vote for a second five-year term as president of the European Union’s executive commission, her leadership has been marked by guiding the bloc through Brexit, COVID-19, and the Ukraine war.

Ursula von der Leyen pledged to be a strong leader for Europe in a time of crisis and polarization, making her final leadership pitch Thursday in a speech to lawmakers at the European Parliament ahead of a vote on her second five-year term as president of the European Union's executive commission.

The secret ballot at the 720-seat parliament follows strong gains by the far right in last month's European Parliament election.

"I will never let the extreme polarization of our societies become accepted. I will never accept that demagogues and extremists destroy our European way of life. And I stand here today ready to lead the fight with all the Democratic forces in this house," von der Leyen declared.

If a majority of lawmakers reject her candidacy, the 27-nation bloc will scramble to find a replacement as it grapples with crises ranging from the war in Ukraine to climate change.

In her speech, von der Leyen emphasized that "Europe's destiny hinges on what we do next." Over the past five years, she has steered the bloc through crises, including Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. She has also promoted a Green Deal aiming to make the EU climate-neutral by 2050.

Von der Leyen's reelection bid was boosted by the European People's Party's strong performance in the EU Parliament elections. However, some center-right lawmakers might still vote against her. She needs 361 votes for a second term. The German politician has been praised for her role during the coronavirus crisis but criticized for the opacity in vaccine negotiations.

Following the EU Parliament elections, EU leaders agreed on key positions in the bloc, with Antonio Costa of Portugal as European Council president and Estonia's Kaja Kallas as top diplomat. Kallas' approval by European lawmakers is pending.

(With inputs from agencies.)