Von der Leyen stakes re-election on defense, housing and a revamped budget

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - STRASBOURG — Defense, competitiveness and housing were keynotes of Ursula von der Leyen's big pitch for re-election when she set out her manifesto for a further five years as European Commission president before MEPs in Strasbourg.

The exhaustive speech laying out ideas and projects for a potential second term needs to persuade more than half of the lawmakers to vote for her this afternoon if she wants to secure confirmation of the European Parliament.

Thursday's address aimed to hit the right notes and to appeal across the political spectrum, offering a plethora of promises that tie in with the demands expressed by the main parliamentary groups.

She spoke at length about boosting competitiveness, cutting red tape, investing in defense and protecting farmers to please her conservative family. She dived head-first into the housing crisis, collective bargaining and women's rights, an evident nod for the Socialists. She doubled down on the need to respect fundamental rights in exchange for receiving EU funds, a must-have for the Liberals. And she promised to stick to the targets of the European Green Deal, which the Greens want to see honored.

"The last five years have shown what we can do together. Let us do it again. Let us make the choice of strength. Let us make the choice of leadership," she said.

The speech combined initiatives that began in her first mandate, such as the signing of multi-billion deals with neighboring countries to curb irregular migration, and others that had been teased in public interventions, like a European Democracy Shield to counter foreign information manipulation and interference.

But the incumbent also unveiled brand-new proposals to dispel doubts that her second mandate would lack the same ambition as her first.

Her 'guidelines', a manifesto document published ahead of her speech this morning, touted a Clean Industrial Deal to mobilise investment into net-zero technologies, a Commissioner devoted to the Mediterranean region, an EU-wide inquiry to examine the impact of social media on the well-being of young people, and a radical overhaul of the bloc's common budget with a greater focus on reforms.

These ideas, von der Leyen argued, respond to a world of "anxiety and uncertainty", where families are squeezed by the cost-of-living crisis, where polarisation divides societies and where climate change wreaks havoc and depletes natural resources.

"Europe cannot control dictators and demagogues across the world, but it can choose to protect its own democracy. Europe cannot determine elections across the world, but it can choose to invest in the security and defense of its own continent," she told MEPs.

"Europe cannot stop change, but it can choose to embrace it by investing in a new age of prosperity and improving our quality of life."

Thursday's address was heavy on policy – but also on politics.

In one of the most eye-catching moments, von der Leyen excoriated Viktor Orbán for his controversial "peace mission", which earlier this month took him on a surprise visit to Moscow to discuss the war in Ukraine with Vladimir Putin, a man wanted for war crimes.

"This so-called 'peace mission' was nothing but an appeasement mission," von der Leyen declared, prompting loud applause from lawmakers.

"Only two days later, Putin's jets aimed their missiles at a children’s hospital and maternity ward in Kyiv," she went on. "That strike was not a mistake. It was a message. A chilling message from the Kremlin to all of us."

The president then vowed to "give Ukraine everything it needs to resist and prevail" and show "steadfast commitment" to Kyiv's ambitions to join the bloc.

Von der Leyen also spoke about the Israel-Hamas war, management of which has garnered her criticism. In her speech, she sought to assuage accusations of pro-Israeli bias and said her executive would put forward a "much larger" assistance package to support an "effective" Palestinian Authority.

"I want to be clear: the bloodshed in Gaza must stop now. Too many children, women and civilians have lost their lives as a result of Israel's response to Hamas' brutal terror. The people of Gaza cannot bear any more," she said, amid applause.

"We need an immediate and enduring ceasefire. We need the release of Israeli hostages. And we need to prepare the day after."

Von der Leyen's speech ran for almost an hour and touched upon a variety of policy issues that give a strong hint of what her second mandate, if blessed by the Parliament, might contain in the years to come. — Euronews