EU Election Results and Priorities for the 2024-2029 European Commission

European Parliamentary elections took place across the European Union from June 6-9, 2024. The centrists – including the center-right European People’s Party, the center-left Socialists and Democrats party, and the center-liberal Renew Europe party – won enough seats to retain their leadership of the European Parliament. A continued strong commitment to pro-trade policies, the transatlantic relationship, and Ukraine is expected in the European Union for the next five years.

The European Parliament re-elected incumbent Ursula von der Leyen of Germany as President of the European Commission for a five-year term, with a comfortable majority of 401 votes out of 707 (she needed 361). A political moderate and member of the center-right European People’s Party, President von der Leyen is committed to the transatlantic relationship. Before becoming European Commission President in 2019, President von der Leyen served in Germany’s cabinet, most recently as defense minister. In addition to endorsements from the above-mentioned centrist parties, her reelection was also supported by the left-leaning party, The Greens/European Free Alliance.  

In a July 18 speech to the European Parliament, President von der Leyen presented her main priorities for the 2024-2029 European Commission mandate, including bolstering Europe’s competitiveness, security, and defense. Other priorities include climate change, digital transition, and internal reforms needed as the EU prepares to absorb new members states, among numerous other priorities. Notably, she used the word “investment” 49 times in the document outlining her priorities – from farming to industry and digital to strategic technologies.  She also pledged to invest in people and their skills and called for the creation of a “European Union of Defense” to better coordinate military spending by the European Union and its Member States.

EU Member States put forth names for their Commissioners-nominee for the 2024-2029 mandate and on September 17, von der Leyen announced the proposed portfolio assignments for each nominee to the European Parliament. (Note: the College of Commissioners is the EU’s rough equivalent to the executive branch Cabinet in the United States.) Of note, von der Leyen’s publicly published Mission letters to all Commissioners-nominee referenced the Draghi Report on the future of European competitiveness and the Letta Report on the future of the Single Market, emphasizing the need to collaborate across portfolios on these matters.

Looking ahead, the European Parliament is expected to hold hearings for each nominee from November 4-12. Following these hearings, which could result in the European Parliament requesting alternative candidates from Member States, the European Parliament must vote to approve/disapprove the entire slate of the College of Commissioners, which is expected to take place during the November 25-28 plenary session. If approved, the new Commission could begin its work as soon as December 1.

CSEU will provide individual reports on proposals, policies, and shifts that could impact U.S. industry under this new 2024-2029 European Commission mandate as the confirmation process unfolds.

For additional information, please contact Seth Oppenheim, Commercial Officer at the U.S. Mission to the European Union.