Statement by President von der Leyen at the joint press conference with President Metsola following the Parliament’s vote on the College of Commissioners
Thank you very much, dear Roberta,
Today is a good day for Europe because this vote shows that the centre is holding. I am very grateful for the confidence expressed by the Parliament to the new College. The European Parliament’s vote allows us to start now on 1 December. We are eager to start. And it is critical, because time is pressing. We face significant political challenges inside our Union, at our borders and in our neighbourhood. We need to boost our competitiveness. And the impact of climate change is felt ever more strongly.
So I am very happy to be able to count on a strong and experienced team. All College members have demonstrated their skills, motivation and commitment to the European Union in the hearing process. This was recognised, and they all passed. And this is good. Because I have full confidence in their ability to deliver, not only as individuals but also as a team.
I am also glad that the structure of the College has been approved by the European Parliament. I wanted a team capable of working across the different silos. Because the challenges of our times are all intertwined. If you take democracy and tech sovereignty, for example; or competitiveness and fairness; or innovation and decarbonisation. So, cooperation across the board is of utmost importance. The structure of the new College will enable efficient teamwork and cross-cutting solutions.
Dear Roberta,
I now look forward to five years of constructive cooperation with the European Parliament – starting immediately. As outlined in my Political Guidelines, my team and I will table initiatives within the first 100 days of this mandate.
Over the next five years, what will be of absolute critical importance is unity. I cannot underline this enough. If you look at the global competition and how fierce it is and how it is growing more intense by the day: There is a war raging at our borders, and the pace of change is faster than ever. This is the backdrop against which we are working, and you heard it today in the Plenary too. So one thing is clear: Europe’s prosperity and security is first and foremost our own responsibility. Yes, we need strong alliances abroad. We should reach out constantly and nurture our relationships. But equally crucial is that we need unity within; unity that leads to action, to fast and decisive action. The transition period between the two mandates is now over. Now we have to deliver. And this is why we need the tightest cooperation with the European Parliament and the Council. And I know I can count on you, Roberta.
Thank you very much again.
