The political reform agenda of Ursula von der Leyen. EPC Discussion Paper 30 August 2019

Duff, Andrew (2019) The political reform agenda of Ursula von der Leyen. EPC Discussion Paper 30 August 2019. [Discussion Paper]

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Abstract

On 16 July 2019, Ursula von der Leyen was elected as the next President of the Commission by 383 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to 327. The European Parliament which elected her was itself boosted by an unprecedented increase in overall voter turnout at the elections in May from 42% to 51%. Over the last few years, in part due to the financial crisis, a real European polity has started to emerge. Europe’s voters are paying attention. Whether they love or loathe the European Union, its citizens recognise its importance. However, the newly elected European Parliament is more fractured than in the past, and will be less easy to manage. Moreover, the election of Ms von der Leyen has been perceived by some as a renunciation of the Spitzenkandidat process initiated in 2014 which many saw as an important step forward in making the EU more accountable.

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