EU chief Von der Leyen secures second term and recommits to Green Deal

The European Parliament has re-elected Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission, following a secret ballot among Members of Parliament.

Von der Leyen secured victory with 401 votes out of a possible 719.

In her pre-election speech, Ursula von der Leyen presented her political priorities for the next five years, which included pledging to put forward a new Clean Industrial Deal in the first 100 days.

The Deal aims to channel investment in infrastructure and energy-intensive industries, speed up planning, tendering, and permitting and ultimately reduce energy bills.

Von der Leyen also recommitted to The Green Deal, stating: “I want to be clear. We will stay the course on our new growth strategy and the goals we set for 2030 and 2050. Our focus now will be on implementation and investment to make it happen on the ground.”

She emphasised that in the first half of 2024, 50% of European electricity generation came from renewables and Europe has seen clean tech investments more than triple through the mandate. Von der Leyen also highlighted the 35 agreements concluded with global partners on clean tech, hydrogen and critical raw materials.

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Positive industry reaction

For the most part, industry reaction to Von der Leyen’s re-election has been positive, with comments focusing on her unequivocal commitment to actioning the Green Deal, as well as the continuity and stability a second will provide.

A statement issued by Eurelectric lauded Von der Leyen’s political guidelines and recognition that grid infrastructure is a key technology in need of higher investments. Said Eurelectric’s secretary general, Kristian Ruby: “Von der Leyen set out a pragmatic, yet ambitious agenda for the next five years to address the new challenge landscape the EU is facing with geopolitical tensions, sharpened industrial competition, on top of the impacts from increasingly extreme weather.”

Hydrogen Europe also issued a statement congratulating Ursula von der Leyen on her re-election. “It is encouraging to see that the core of the next mandate revolves around high climate ambitions with a clear framework for EU net zero industrial investments that will help derisking business decisions needed to deliver climate neutrality by 2050…

“It is encouraging to see the commitment to an investment Commission with a focus on competitiveness as well as the proposed risk absorbing measures such as the EU Competitiveness Fund in the next Multiannual financial framework (MFF). The willingness to make Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs) simpler and faster to get financing off the ground are encouraging signals for clean technologies such as hydrogen. Additionally, preference will also be given to European products in public procurement for certain strategic sectors can help boost such domestic technologies.

“…It is promising that each Commissioner will be tasked with focusing on reducing administrative burdens and simplifying implementation, include accelerating permitting and cutting out red tape that can unleash the full potential of European clean technologies.”

However, the pressure will certainly be on the President to deliver on Green Deal Promises.

Ester Asin, director of WWF European Policy Office commented: “The dialogue between stakeholders emphasised by President von der Leyen should result in swift and meaningful action, otherwise this will only perpetuate the status quo, further increasing the costs of inaction on climate and nature.”

“Our economy and industries need to fundamentally transform, but the excessive focus on simplifying existing legislation can open the door for climate denialists and anti-environmentalists to scrap essential environmental standards that protect citizens,” warns Asin.

Faustine Bas-Defossez, director of Nature, Health and Environment at the European Environmental Bureau commented: “With Ursula von der Leyen re-elected on the basis of political guidelines reaffirming the central place of the EU Green Deal and its continuity shortly after the adoption of the Strategic Agenda, the EU and its institutions have a clear mandate to tackle the triple climate, biodiversity and pollution crisis.

“While the commitment is there on paper, we certainly need more than just implementation. The strong focus on climate cannot come at the expense of necessary actions against the biodiversity and pollution crises, as these issues are intrinsically interlinked. Only by addressing triple crises together can we achieve climate neutrality,” Bas-Defossez concludes.

The Commission President-elect will now send letters to member state heads of state inviting them to put forward their candidates for European Commissioner posts.

Parliament will then organise nominee hearings in the relevant committees after the summer.

Originally published on Power Engineering International.