Ursula von der Leyen praises Teresa Ribera as a dedicated European leader

In Brussels, on November 27, 2024, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, introduced Teresa Ribera as her future first vice-president during a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. Ribera, a member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, is expected to oversee areas such as competition, clean energy, and environmental transition. Von der Leyen highlighted Ribera's qualifications and commitment to European values, aiming for a modern competition policy that aligns with EU ambitions. The approval of the new College of Commissioners was anticipated to pass with a majority support from various political factions including the 'popular' party, socialists, and liberals. The political dynamics leading to this appointment faced challenges, particularly from a cross-veto situation between the European People's Party and the social democrats. However, an agreement was reached to lift these vetoes and combine efforts for a pro-European agenda moving forward. Von der Leyen committed to governing from the center during her second term, with a focus on bolstering freedoms, improving competitiveness, and ensuring security within the EU for the next five years. She plans to address several pressing concerns raised by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) regarding the appointments and competencies of her commissioners and vice-presidents. The meeting at the European Parliament also included representatives from the extensive list of commissioners who will succeed the current executive, starting their work officially on December 1, 2024. Von der Leyen is focused on presenting a fresh approach to clean industry and aims to unlock investment opportunities to foster leading markets for clean technology in order to enable European companies to compete effectively on a global scale against rivals from China and the United States. As these developments unfold, the encouragement towards collaboration among various factions is seen as a significant move towards stabilizing EU governance and responding to contemporary challenges faced in the region. The goal remains to enhance unity within the EU and to progress in key policy areas that affect the overall landscape of the union.