German Ursula von der Leyen reelected European Commission President

The European Parliament re-elected German politician Ursula von der Leyen as the European Commission President for another 5-year term on 18 July 2024. She was first elected in July 2019 and joined the office on 1 November 2019. Her current term expires on 31 October 2024. She will resume her second term on 1st November 2024 and will remain in office until October 2029.

Election of the  European Commission President

• The European Council proposes the candidate's name for the President of the European Commission post.
• The European Council is the highest decision-making body in the European Union, consisting of the Head of State /Head of the Government of the 27 member countries of the European Union, the European Commission President and the European Council President,
• The candidate proposed by the Council is to be approved by the  European Parliament with a simple majority.
• The European Parliament currently has 719 members, and  Ursula von der Leyen secured 401 votes in a secret ballot conducted on 18 July 2024.

Responsibilities of the European Commission and its President 

• The European Commission was set up in 1958. It is the politically independent executive branch of the 27-member European Union.
• The European Commission comprises 27  Commissioners, one from each European Union member country.
• The European Commission proposes the European Parliament make new legislation. 
• It is responsible for implementing the decisions of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.
• The President of the European Commission leads the  European Commission by being its head.
• The President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council represent the  European Union at the  G7 and G20 summits and summits with non-European Union countries.

For details about European Council and its President, click here   

About the European Union 

The origin of the European Union lies in the creation of a free trade area in 1952 between six Western European countries—Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany—named the European Coal and Steel Community.

The Treaties of Rome 1957 converted it into the European Economic Community.

The Maastricht Treaty of 1992 created the European Union, which came into force on 1 November 1993. 

The Maastricht Treaty aims to further European countries' political and economic integration by establishing a common currency (euro), a unified foreign and security policy, and common citizenship rights.

There is a 720-member European Parliament, elected by the citizens of the European Union's members.

The Parliament sits at Luxembourg, Brussels(Belgium) and Strasbourg (France)

Members: 27 countries.

Headquarters: Brussels(Belgium).