But doing rounds on social media is expressive speech AGAINST Ms von der Leyen
Portugal’s president Marcelo has congratulated Ursula von der Leyen today on her election to a second term as president of the European Commission, highlighting the ‘expressive vote’, and ‘the strengthened majority achieved’ in the European Parliament.
According to a note sent to the Lusa news agency, Marcelo considers all this demonstrates that Europeans are capable of reaching important convergences when it comes to their common future’.
The result equally reflects the quality of the leadership with which Ursula von der Leyen has led the European Union in times of great geopolitical turbulence, he said. And, finally, “it gives us hope in the ability of Europeans to face global risks and challenges”.
Ms von der Leyen, of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, was elected by the European Parliament with 401 votes in favour, which is considerably more than the 360 required. In the vote held at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, she received 284 votes against, 15 abstentions and seven invalid votes.
Ursula von der Leyen has been the first woman to chair the European Commission – a post to which she was first elected in July 2019, with 383 votes in favour, 22 abstentions and one invalid vote – and she has really marked her first tenure with the unwavering support she has led with regard to Ukraine.
But her other ‘great project’ is the European Green Deal – an initiative that continues to divide. And this is where the expressive response doing the rounds on social media came from – Polish MEP Ewa Zajaczkowska is widely seen as having gone into ‘beast mode’ to decry the choice of Ursula Von der Leyen, and suggest the commissioner should not be heading up a new mandate in Europe at all: she “should go to prison”.
“You are the face of the European Green Deal, which is destroying the European economy and agriculture… You are the face of all the EU’s climate craziness, which leads to us Europeans becoming poorer and poorer.
“You are the face of the migration pact… which leads to millions of women and children in Europe feeling threatened on the streets of their own cities.
“You are responsible for… every tragedy caused by the influx of illegal migrants, because it is you who is inviting these people here to Europe.
“We want a Europe of free and sovereign nations, not a sick leftist ideology”, said Zajaczkowska whose speech ran overtime, but was audibly applauded (and has been booed as she let rip).
Ursula von der Leyen has referred to European values being threatened by “demagogues and extremists”. ND
Source material: LUSA/ ‘X’ (formerly Twitter)
