European Commission: Von der Leyen's New Team Confirmed by European Parliament

• 11.27.2019, 19:55
•  Europe,  World

DW

Incoming European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's  new team of commissioners were confirmed by a vote of the European Parliament on Wednesday, DW reports.

In Strasbourg, 461 of the lawmakers voted in favor, 157 against and 89 abstained. Von der Leyen only needed a simple majority to secure confirmation as commission president.

Incumbent Jean-Claude Juncker tweeted his congratulations.

"Our union will embark on transformation that will touch every part of our society and economy and we will do it because it will be the right thing to do, not because it will be easy," she said ahead of the vote.

She pledged "transformation which will touch every part of our society and our economy."

"We are ready, Europe is ready. My message is simple: Let's get to work," she added. Her commission will take over on December 1.

The German lawmaker also stressed that the "existential" challenge of climate change, putting this at the forefront of her new agenda.

"We don't have a moment to waste any more on fighting climate change," von der Leyen told the assembly on Wednesday.

The new commission of 27 commissioners will have three executive vice-presidents: Valdis Dombrokvskis (Latvia), Frans Timmermans (Netherlands) and Margrethe Vestager (Denmark).

Dutch socialist Timmermans is in charge of the European Green Deal that Von der Leyen championed.

"It will need massive investment," she told the parliament, referring to her plan to tackle climate change.