The Commission was approved by theEuropean Parliament on 27 November with 51% of the majority, the least supported European Commission by the Parliament since 1993, when it was given the right to vote on the college.[3][4]
The second Ursula von der Leyen commission will be organized on three levels:[5]
president;
executive vice presidents;
commissioners.
Regardless of the three-level structure of the commission, the president of the commission emphasized that all commissioners share collective responsibility for decisions made by the Commission.[5]
To be electedCommission President, a candidate must be proposed by theEuropean Council with areinforced qualified majority (at least 72% of the states representing at least 65% of the population) and receive a majority of the votes of the members of the European Parliament (at least 361 out of 720).[10][11][12]
ThePresident-elect of the European Union invites themember states to nominate commissioners in accordance with the rules set out in theTreaty on the European Union and by theEuropean Council. The President-elect decides on the organisation of their Commission, reviews the nominees, and presents a college of Commissioners, with each nominated Commissioner being responsible for a specific policy portfolio. The President-elect also appoints Vice Presidents among the Commissioners[1][2][26] The President-elect's proposed College of Commissioners is reviewed by theEuropean Parliament in committee hearings.[1][2][26]
On 25 July 2024, President-electUrsula von der Leyen sent the letters to member states asking them to officially nominate candidates for the post ofEuropean Commissioner before 30 August 2024.[116][117][118] As she did with herfirst commission, von der Leyen called for member states to each nominate two candidates for the European Commission, a woman and a man.[119] However, Bulgaria is the only country to have followed von der Leyen's request.[120] All the other leaders of EU member states have each nominated only one candidate, and most of them are men.[121][118] Romania originally put forward socialist MEPVictor Negrescu but later put forward MEPRoxana Mînzatu, switching a male nominee for a female nominee.[122]
Percentage of Commissioners nominee by gender[123][124]
Male
59.3% (16)
Female
40.7% (11)
Percentage of Commissioners nominee by European political party[123][124]
On 17 September 2024,Ursula von der Leyen announced in a press conference the college of commissioners and their portfolios.[125][126] The share of women in the proposed commission is 40.7%, down from 44.4 percent in2019.[127] The average age of the new Commission nominees is 52, dropping from 56 in 2019.[127] In terms of structure, there are sixExecutive Vice-Presidents, down from 7 (with 3 executive vice-presidents) in 2019. The proposed College includes five returning commissioners: three of them are for a second mandate (Šuica,Várhelyi,Hoekstra), whileDombrovskis would return for a third term, andŠefčovič for a fourth term. The portfolio repartition reflects the declared priorities, with a strong focus on competitiveness, industrial policy and defence.[124][128]
On 19 September 2024, theCouncil of the European Union adopted, by common accord with the President-elect of the Commission, the list of persons whom it proposes for appointment as members of the Commission to theEuropean Parliament.[129]
According to the Rule 129 of the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament, the confirmation hearings are conducted by the appropriate committee or committees for each commissioner.[163] According to the Annex VII of the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament, the parliament has to evaluate Commissioners-designate based on their general competence, European commitment and personal independence. It has to assess knowledge of their prospective portfolio and their communication skills.[164] Historically, theEuropean Parliament has rejected at least one candidate during every mandate since 2004.[165]
On 3 October 2024, theConference of Presidents of the European Parliament agreed on the calendar for the hearings to be held from 4 to 12 November, and decided on the division of responsibilities among committees for the confirmation hearings.[166]
The College of Commissioners are subjected to the confirmation by a majority of the votes cast by theEuropean Parliament. On 27 November, the new Commission was approved by Parliament, with 370 MEPs voting in favour, 282 against, and 36 abstentions. This corresponds to a 51 % majority of all members, the least supported European Commission by the Parliament since 1993, when it was given the right to vote on the college, and fewer than the 401 MEPs who voted for the election of Ursula von der Leyen as Commission President.[3][4]
Strasbourg, 27 November 2024 – simple majority required[167]
Ballot
Votes
Percentage
1
In favour
370 / 719
53,8 %
Against
282 / 719
40,9 %
Abstained
36 / 719
5,2 %
Total votes
688
95,7 %
After being approved by the Parliament, the Commission was formally appointed by theEuropean Council, acting by a qualified majority, on 28 November.[1][2][166] It subsequently assumed office on 1 December 2024.[168]
The policy priorities of the second von der Leyen Commission were initially outlined in the 30-page "Political Guidelines for the Next European Commission 2024–2029" document that Ursula von der Leyen published in July 2024.[169] The seven priority areas are:
A new plan for Europe's sustainable prosperity and competitiveness
A new era for European defence and security
Supporting people, strengthening our societies and our social model
Sustaining our quality of life: Food security, water and nature
Protecting our democracy, upholding our values
A global Europe: Leveraging our power and partnerships
Delivering together and preparing our Union for the future
As an important cross-cutting priority area, the Commission also put increasing emphasis on streamlining regulations and cuttingRed tape, even if similar attempts to reduce "administrative burdens" had regularly featured in the EU agenda in the 1990s onwards.[170] However, this time these efforts were further intensified and turned into omnibus directives that targeted recently initiated EU rules in the field of corporate sustainability and responsibility rules.[171]
TheEuropean Green Deal, approved in 2020, is a set of policy initiatives by the von der Leyen Commission with the overarching aim of making the European Unionclimate neutral in 2050.[172] In November 2024, Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition,Teresa Ribera, expressed support for the European Green Deal and thegreen transition.[173] She said in an interview withEl País: "Ursula von der Leyen has given me a vice presidency: It's a signal that [the green agenda] remains a priority. Environmental transition is one of the great engines of the approaching economic and industrial transformation."[174] In December 2024, Ribera warned that the Commission would not postpone theban on the sale of combustion engine cars in the EU after 2035.[175]
On 26 February 2025, the Commission announced a collection of measures backed by 100 billion euros ($104.94 billion) to support EU-madeclean manufacturing, called theClean Industrial Deal.[176][177] Ribera said that "By 2030, the EU's renewable targets alone will generate over 3.5 million new jobs in the renewable sector. But this transition means change — some sectors will need to face challenging circumstances."[178]
On 2 July 2025, the Commission proposed a new climate target for 2040, aiming for a 90% reduction in netgreenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990 levels.[179]
According to a study by scientists atUtrecht University published on 24 August 2025, theAtlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) could start to collapse from the 2060s.[180] Thecollapse of the AMOC would be a severe climate catastrophe, resulting in a cooling of the Northern Hemisphere.[181] European Climate CommissionerWopke Hoekstra described the findings as a "wake-up call".[182] In August 2025, Teresa Ribera suggested that AMOC should be "added to the list of national security acronyms in Europe" given the serious consequences of AMOC's collapse.[183]
In November 2024, the candidate for the post of High Representative for Foreign Policy,Kaja Kallas, stated that thePeople's Republic of China must pay a "higher cost" forits support of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[184] In February 2025, Kallas again condemned China,[185] saying that "Without China's support, Russia would not be able to continue its military aggression with the same force. China is the largest provider of dual-use goods and sensitive items that sustain Russia's military-industrial base and that are found on the battlefield in Ukraine."[186]
On 20 February 2025, Kallas expressed doubts about US PresidentDonald Trump's attempts tonegotiate a peace deal in the Russia-Ukraine war, warning that "if we are giving everything on the plate to the aggressor, it sends a signal to all the aggressors in the world that you can do this."[187]
On 24 February 2025, Kallas met with Israeli Foreign MinisterGideon Sa'ar in Brussels for the first formal talks between Israel and the EU since theGaza war.[188] The European Commission rejected a request from Ireland and Spain to review theEU–Israel Association Agreement.[189]
Ursula von der Leyen with Chinese Foreign MinisterWang Yi in Brussels, 4 July 2025
In a meeting with Kaja Kallas in July 2025, Chinese Foreign MinisterWang Yi said that China does not want Russia to lose the war in Ukraine.[193] According to European diplomats, China is concerned that the United States would focus more on Asia once the conflict in Europe ends.[194][195]
On 15 July 2025, Kallas and the foreign ministers of the EU member states decided not to take any action against Israel over allegedIsraeli war crimes in the Gaza war andsettler violence in theWest Bank.[196] The proposed sanctions against Israel included suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement, suspending visa-free travel, or blocking imports from Israeli settlements.[197] Israel considered the EU's decision not to impose sanctions on Israel as a diplomatic victory.[198] Palestinian Foreign MinisterVarsen Aghabekian criticized the decision, saying, "It's shocking and disappointing, because everything is crystal clear. ... The whole world has been seeing what is happening in Gaza. The killing, the atrocities, the war crimes."[197]
In September 2025, US President Trump asked the EU to impose 100 % tariffs on China andIndia to punish them for buying Russian oil and de facto financing Russia's invasion of Ukraine.[199][200] Kaja Kallas expressed support for enhancing trade and security ties between theEU and India, while criticizing India's close cooperationwith Russia, including its participation in theZapad 2025 military exercise.[201]
On 28 October 2025, Kaja Kallas and Hadja Lahbib released a joint statement calling theRSF's seizure ofEl Fasher a "dangerous turning point" in theSudanese Civil War and condemning the "brutality" oftargeting civilians based on ethnicity. They urged immediate de-escalation, adherence to international humanitarian law, and safe, unhindered humanitarian access.[202]
On 9 January 2026, during a historic visit to Damascus, von der Leyen met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and announced a substantial financial assistance package of approximately €620 million, to be disbursed in 2026 and 2027.[203] This visit marked a significant shift inEU-Syria relations following thefall of the Assad regime in late 2024. During her stay, von der Leyen described the ongoingclashes in Aleppo between the Syrian government and theKurdish-ledSDF as "worrying".[204]
In January 2026, von der Leyen strongly condemned theviolent crackdown on widespreadanti-government protests in Iran. Responding to reports of escalating casualties, she characterized the situation as "horrifying."[205]
On 4 March 2025, Ursula von der Leyen announced the EU's €800 billion ($840 billion) defence investment plan "ReArm Europe".[206][207] She suggested that the European Union might need to ease its fiscal rules regardingnational debt to facilitate increased defense spending by member states.[208]
On 27 July 2025, the United States and the European Union concluded a trade agreement, providing for 15%tariffs on European exports.[211] The deal was announced by US PresidentDonald Trump and Ursula von der Leyen, atTurnberry, Scotland.[212] European states committed to $750 billion inenergy purchases and $600 billion in additional investments in the United States.[213]
In July 2025, Indonesian PresidentPrabowo Subianto and Ursula von der Leyen reached a political agreement on the Indonesia-EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). Following a decade of negotiations, the substantive conclusion of the deal was signed in September 2025.[214]
In October 2025, von der Leyen announced a strategy to reduce the European Union’s reliance on China forcritical raw materials, includingrare earth elements. This initiative was in response to China'sexport restrictions on these essential commodities, which pose potential risks to the EU's industrial manufacturing and technological innovation.[216]
António Costa,Narendra Modi, and Ursula von der Leyen during the formal ceremony of the treaty's signing, 27 January 2026
In January 2026, India and the European Union concluded a landmarkIndia–European Union Free Trade Agreement,[217] aimed at eliminating tariffs on over 90% of goods to strengthen economic and strategic ties.[5] Ursula von der Leyen called it the "mother of all deals".[5] On 27 January 2026, von der Leyen signed a mobility and migration agreement with Indian Prime MinisterNarendra Modi in New Delhi.[218] This pact, signed concurrently with a free trade agreement (FTA), significantly facilitates legal pathways to the EU for Indian students and skilled workers.[219]
In February 2025, Polish Prime MinisterDonald Tusk told Ursula von der Leyen that Poland would not implement the EU Migration Pact, i.e. the mandatory relocation of 30,000 asylum seekers or the payment of €600 million, and recalled that Poland had accepted a large number ofUkrainian refugees.[220]
In March 2025, Poland suspended the right to apply for asylum at theBelarus-Poland border, a decision supported by the European Commission.[221]
On 16 July 2025, the Commission proposed a draft of the Multiannual Financial Framework for the years 2028-34, reorganizing its structure into four pillars (National and regional partnership plans, Competitiveness Fund, Global Europe Fund and European public administration) and increasing the overall spending as a percent of gross national income of the member states combined from 1.05% to 1.26%. The Commission also included new sources of EU's own revenues in the draft budget.[222]
In July 2025, von der Leyen survived a vote of no confidence, with 360 MEPs against and 175 in favour.EPP,S&D,Renew Europe,Greens/EFA and parts ofECR supported her, whilePfE,ESN,The Left and parts ofECR opposed her.[223] In October, von der Leyen survived another two votes of no confidence, with 378 MEPs against and 179 in favour on the first one, and with 383 MEPs against and 133 in favour on the second one.[224]
^abcHadja Lahbib (Belgium), Valdis Dombrovskis (Latvia) and Maroš Šefčovič (Slovakia) have each been assigned two portfolios. For the second portfolio (Equality, Implementation and Simplification, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight) each of them will be reporting directly to the president of the Commission.
^abcd"Press corner".European Commission - European Commission. Retrieved25 September 2024.Cite error: The named reference ":2" was defined multiple times with different content (see thehelp page).
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