Ursula von der Leyen won a second term as the European Commission’s president on Thursday, on a pledge to build a European “air shield” as part of an overhauled defence strategy.
The German bureaucrat secured 401 votes from a possible 720 members of the European Parliament in a secret ballot, where pro-Brussels parties came together to outnumber far-Right groups.
She pitched herself as a safe pair of hands who can strengthen the bloc against the threat posed by Russia and guide it through a war in the Middle East and the return of Donald Trump in the White House.
A key part of her strategy is to develop a “true European defence union” with flagship projects on air defence and cyber security.
“We all know very well that our spending on defence is too low and ineffective. Our foreign spending is too great. We must therefore create a single market for defence,” Mrs von der Leyen told MEPs ahead of the vote.
She said the so-called “European air shield” was vital “not only to protect our airspace but as a strong symbol of European unity in defence matters”.
Scheme likely to meet opposition
Her plans will be set out for the defence union in a white paper in the first 100 days of presidency.
But the scheme is likely to be met with opposition from Nato allies already working on separate air defence projects.
Under Mrs von der Leyen’s plans, EU member states will probably be asked to commit to purchasing a single system built on the Continent, such as the Franco-Italian Samp/T.
Participating capitals would likely buy up several systems with the help of EU funds, and choose where best to place them to protect the bloc from feared missile attacks.
Nato already has its own integrated air-defence system with surface-to-air missile batteries positioned along the alliance’s eastern and southern flanks.
Germany has also announced its own “sky shield initiative” – which Britain has signed to join – that is building better air defences with American, German and Israeli technologies. France refused to join to ultimately support a European-only scheme.
Spent weeks finding a majority
Mrs von Der Leyen attempted to allay fears that the EU would tread on Nato’s toes, saying: “Yes, I know there are some who are perhaps uncomfortable with the idea. But what we should be uncomfortable about are the threats to our security.
“Let us be clear: member states will retain responsibility for their national security and their armies… and Nato will remain a pillar of our collective defence.”
Mrs von der Leyen, the commission’s first female president, had spent weeks scrambling to find a majority of MEPs to secure her second term.
She skipped the European Political Community gathering at Blenheim Palace on Thursday to attend the vote at the EU Parliament in Strasbourg.
The bloc’s three centrist parties had come out in public before the ballot, but the German held secret talks with Italy’s Giorgia Meloni in an attempt to win the backing of her Eurosceptic Brothers of Italy.
Eventually the European Green Party opted to back a Commission candidate for the first time, handing Mrs von Der Leyen enough votes to win without the anti-Brussels politicians.
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