Ursula von der Leyen wins 2nd term as EU chief
European lawmakers on Thursday re-elected Ursula von der Leyen to a second five-year term as president of the European Commission during their first parliamentary session since the June elections. Von der Leyen won with the support of 401 MEPs in the 720-seat chamber -- comfortably over the 361-vote majority she needed to remain head of the EU's executive body. There were 284 who voted against in the secret ballot. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was among the first world leaders to congratulate von der Leyen for securing another five-year term. He said her re-election was "a clear sign of our ability to act in the European Union, especially in difficult times," Scholz wrote on the social media platform X. Among her biggest pledges was a plan to launch EU defence projects starting with a European air shield, a commitment not to weaken Europe's climate change policies, and more help for European industries struggling to compete with the US and China while they invest in curbing emissions. The next European Commission would propose a new competitiveness fund in the next EU budget to invest in cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, she said. She also outlined changes on migration policy, including a new approach for the return of migrants, and plans to triple the number of European border and coast guards. (Agencies)