EUROPEAN COMMISSION CHIEF FACES UNCERTAIN VOTE FOR NEW TERM- Her supporters believe EU may face political standoff if unapproved
The European Commission Chief, Ursula von der Leyen has spent weeks trying to convince European Union lawmakers to back her for a second term as president of the European Commission. A day before a knife-edge vote, many are undecided as to whether to support her or not.
The European Parliament will decide on Thursday whether to appoint von der Leyen, 65, for another five years, providing continuity at the top of the 27-nation EU at a time of external and internal challenges.
Von der Leyen’s supporters think that she prefers stability amidst the global happenings across China, the US and Russia.
Her supporters believe that blocking her appointment could plunge the EU into a political standoff, and create a leadership vacuum by upending a deal on the EU’s other top leadership jobs and delaying the launch of the new European Commission, the EU executive arm, until 2025.
However, lawmakers in the EU assembly say they will not decide whether to support von der Leyen until she reveals what concessions she is offering in a speech outlining her plans on Thursday.