European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen faces vote on her bid for second 5-year term

Ursula von der Leyen is making her final leadership pitch in a speech to lawmakers at the European Parliament ahead of a vote on whether to grant her a second five-year term as president of the European Union’s executive commission. The secret ballot Thursday at the 720-seat parliament comes hot on the heels of strong gains by the far right in last month’s election for the European Parliament. If a majority of the lawmakers reject her candidacy, it would leave leaders of the 27-nation bloc scrambling to find a replacement as Europe grapples with crises ranging from the war in Ukraine to climate change.