Von der Leyen Commission II

Formation

Election of the President of the Commission

To be elected Commission President, a candidate must be proposed by the European Council with a reinforced 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).

On 17 June, an "informal meeting" of the European Council was held, where the heads of state and government discussed the next institutional cycle and their candidate for the Commission presidency. On 25 June, negotiators from the EPP (Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Donald Tusk), PES (Pedro Sánchez and Olaf Scholz) and Renew Europe (Emmanuel Macron and Mark Rutte) reached a preliminary agreement on the nominations.

On 27 June, during the European Council meeting, national leaders proposed Ursula von der Leyen (EPP) as candidate for President of the European Commission, after being named the European People's Party nominee in March 2024. Hungary's Viktor Orbán voted against von der Leyen and abstained on Kallas. Italy's Giorgia Meloni abstained from the vote on von der Leyen but voted against Costa and Kallas for their posts.

In the following weeks, von der Leyen had bilateral meetings with EPP, S&D, Renew, G/EFA, and ECR groups to gather support for her re-election. On 18 July, she presented to the European Parliament her "Political Guidelines", followed by a debate with MEPs. Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected president of the European Commission in a secret ballot, with 401 votes in favour, 284 against, and 22 cast blank or invalid votes.

Selection of the Commissioners

The President-elect of the European Union invites the member states to nominate commissioners in accordance with the rules set out in the Treaty on the European Union and by the European 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. The President-elect's proposed College of Commissioners is reviewed by the European Parliament in committee hearings.

Commissioner candidates

On 25 July 2024, President-elect Ursula von der Leyen sent the letters to member states asking them to officially nominate candidates for the post of European Commissioner before 30 August 2024. As she did with her first commission, von der Leyen called for member states to each nominate two candidates for the European Commission, a woman and a man. However, Bulgaria is the only country to have followed von der Leyen's request. All the other leaders of EU member states have each nominated only one candidate, and most of them are men. Romania originally put forward socialist MEP Victor Negrescu but later put forward MEP Roxana Mînzatu, switching a male nominee for a female nominee.

On 17 September 2024, Ursula von der Leyen announced in a press conference the college of commissioners and their portfolios. The share of women in the proposed commission is 40.7%, down from 44.4 percent in 2019. The average age of the new Commission nominees is 52, dropping from 56 in 2019. In terms of structure, there are six Executive 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), while Dombrovskis would return for a third term, and Šefčovič for a fourth term. The portfolio repartition reflects the declared priorities, with a strong focus on competitiveness, industrial policy and defence.

On 19 September 2024, the Council 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 the European Parliament.

Hearings

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. 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. Historically, the European Parliament has rejected at least one candidate during every mandate since 2004.

On 3 October 2024, the Conference 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.

Election of the Commission

The College of Commissioners are subjected to the confirmation by a majority of the votes cast by the European 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.

After being approved by the Parliament, the Commission was formally appointed by the European Council, acting by a qualified majority, on 28 November. It subsequently assumed office on 1 December 2024.

Policy

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. 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 cutting red tape, even if similar attempts to reduce "administrative burdens" had regularly featured in the EU agenda in the 1990s onwards. 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.

European Green Deal

The European 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 Union climate neutral in 2050. In November 2024, Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, Teresa Ribera, expressed support for the European Green Deal and the green transition. She said in an interview with El 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." In December 2024, Ribera warned that the Commission would not postpone the ban on the sale of combustion engine cars in the EU after 2035.

On 26 February 2025, the Commission announced a collection of measures backed by 100 billion euros (US$104.94 billion) to support EU-made clean manufacturing, called the Clean Industrial Deal. 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."

On 2 July 2025, the Commission proposed a new climate target for 2040, aiming for a 90% reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990 levels.

According to a study by scientists at Utrecht University published on 24 August 2025, the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) could start to collapse from the 2060s. The collapse of the AMOC would be a severe climate catastrophe, resulting in a cooling of the Northern Hemisphere. European Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra described the findings as a "wake-up call". 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.

Foreign issues

In November 2024, the candidate for the post of High Representative for Foreign Policy, Kaja Kallas, stated that the People's Republic of China must pay a "higher cost" for its support of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In February 2025, Kallas again condemned China, 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."

On 17 January 2025, the European Commission concluded the negotations on the modernisation of the EU-Mexico Global Agreement. The modernized agreement is meant to reduce agri-food tariffs, simplify standards and establish climate and labour rights cooperation by the parties. On 3 September 2025, the Commission sent its proposal for the decision on ratification of the Agreement to the Council.

On 20 February 2025, Kallas expressed doubts about US President Donald Trump's attempts to negotiate 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."

On 24 February 2025, Kallas met with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar in Brussels for the first formal talks between Israel and the EU since the Gaza war. The European Commission rejected a request from Ireland and Spain to review the EU–Israel Association Agreement.

In January 2025, European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of the Sunni Islamist group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham. On 8 March 2025, the EEAS condemned attacks "by pro-Assad elements" on Syrian government forces during clashes in western Syria. On 17 March 2025, the European Union pledged €2.5 billion in aid for the Syrian transitional government.

In a meeting with Kaja Kallas in July 2025, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China does not want Russia to lose the war in Ukraine. According to European diplomats, China is concerned that the United States would focus more on Asia once the conflict in Europe ends.

On 15 July 2025, Kallas and the foreign ministers of the EU member states decided not to take any action against Israel over alleged Israeli war crimes in the Gaza war and settler violence in the West Bank. The proposed sanctions against Israel included suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement, suspending visa-free travel, or blocking imports from Israeli settlements. Israel considered the EU's decision not to impose sanctions on Israel as a diplomatic victory. Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian criticised 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."

In September 2025, US President Trump asked the EU to impose 100 % tariffs on China and India to punish them for buying Russian oil and de facto financing Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Kaja Kallas expressed support for enhancing trade and security ties between the EU and India, while criticising India's close cooperation with Russia, including its participation in the Zapad 2025 military exercise.

On 28 October 2025, Kaja Kallas and Hadja Lahbib released a joint statement calling the RSF's seizure of El Fasher a "dangerous turning point" in the Sudanese Civil War and condemning the "brutality" of targeting civilians based on ethnicity. They urged immediate de-escalation, adherence to international humanitarian law, and safe, unhindered humanitarian access.

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. This visit marked a significant shift in EU-Syria relations following the fall of the Assad regime in late 2024. During her stay, von der Leyen described the ongoing clashes in Aleppo between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led SDF as "worrying".

In January 2026, von der Leyen strongly condemned the violent crackdown on widespread anti-government protests in Iran. Responding to reports of escalating casualties, she characterised the situation as "horrifying."

On 1 March 2026, von der Leyen called for a "credible transition" in Iran following the start of a joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign that resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

In March 2026, von der Leyen declared that the traditional "rules-based" international order is finished, urging the EU to adopt a more interest-driven, realistic foreign policy in response to global instability. Addressing the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, she argued 'no tears should be shed' for the Iranian regime, despite noting security risks to Europe. This rhetoric and her dismissal of the rules-based framework prompted criticism from several EU capitals and threatened a no-confidence motion from S&D lawmakers.

Defense industry

On 4 March 2025, Ursula von der Leyen announced the EU's €800 billion (US$840 billion) defence investment plan "ReArm Europe". She suggested that the European Union might need to ease its fiscal rules regarding national debt to facilitate increased defence spending by member states.

Trade

In May 2025, Qatar threatened to halt LNG deliveries to Europe if the European Union continued with proposed regulations linking trade to human rights and environmental standards.

On 27 July 2025, the United States and the European Union concluded a trade agreement, providing for 15% tariffs on European exports. The deal was announced by US President Donald Trump and Ursula von der Leyen, at Turnberry, Scotland. European states committed to US$750 billion in energy purchases and US$600 billion in additional investments in the United States.

In July 2025, Indonesian President Prabowo 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.

Ursula von der Leyen and the leaders of the Mercosur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay) formally signed the European Union–Mercosur free trade agreement on 17 January 2026, in Asunción, Paraguay. This milestone marked the culmination of over 25 years of negotiations aimed at establishing one of the world's largest free trade zones.

In October 2025, von der Leyen announced a strategy to reduce the European Union’s reliance on China for critical raw materials, including rare earth elements. This initiative was in response to China's export restrictions on these essential commodities, which pose potential risks to the EU's industrial manufacturing and technological innovation.

In January 2026, India and the European Union concluded a landmark India–European Union Free Trade Agreement, aimed at eliminating tariffs on over 90% of goods to strengthen economic and strategic ties. Ursula von der Leyen called it the "mother of all deals".

Immigration

In February 2025, Polish Prime Minister Donald 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 of Ukrainian refugees.

In March 2025, Poland suspended the right to apply for asylum at the Belarus-Poland border, a decision supported by the European Commission.

On 27 January 2026, Ursula von der Leyen and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed a mobility and migration partnership agreement alongside a free trade agreement in New Delhi to expand legal pathways to the EU for Indian students and skilled workers. According to von der Leyen, this agreement is crucial for addressing long-term labor shortages in the European market by easing visa processes.

In June 2026, amid the Ukrainian conscription crisis, von der Leyen signaled plans to alter the terms of the Temporary Protection Directive, an emergency mechanism granting immediate protection to displaced persons fleeing the Russo-Ukrainian War, writing to bloc leaders that future extensions must not undermine Ukraine's self-defense capacity. Following these discussions, on 26 June 2026, the European Commission formally proposed extending temporary protection for displaced Ukrainians until March 2028. At the direct request of the Ukrainian government, the proposal introduced a restriction excluding newly arriving Ukrainian men aged 23 to 60 subject to mobilization from automatic temporary protection status. Under Ukraine’s martial law, this age cohort is prohibited from leaving the country.

EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner oversaw the entry into application of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum on 12 June 2026, describing the comprehensive reform as the beginning of a broader operational implementation process. He emphasized strict compliance with the rules, noting that the pact establishes a legally binding European framework for all member states, with the Commission monitoring national implementation plans.

Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-34

On 16 July 2025, the Commission proposed a draft of the Multiannual Financial Framework for the years 2028-34, reorganising 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.

2025 votes of confidence

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 of ECR supported her, while PfE, ESN, The Left and parts of ECR opposed her.

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.