The second von der Leyen Commission faces the lowest parliamentary support since 1993

History · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Taking office on December 1, 2024, the second von der Leyen Commission represents a significant shift in European governance. Despite securing a second term, President Ursula von der Leyen’s college faced unprecedented parliamentary scrutiny, highlighting a changing political landscape within the European Union and a new, complex three-level organizational structure.

The path to the second von der Leyen Commission began with informal European Council meetings in June 2024, where leaders from the EPP, PES, and Renew Europe groups negotiated the next institutional cycle. Following her formal nomination by national leaders on June 27, von der Leyen secured re-election in a secret ballot on July 18, receiving 401 votes in favor against 284 opposed. However, the final approval of the college by the European Parliament on November 27 was notably tight, passing with only 51% of the majority—the lowest level of support for any European Commission since the Parliament gained the right to vote on the college in 1993.

The new Commission is defined by a distinct three-level organizational structure, though von der Leyen has emphasized that collective responsibility remains the bedrock of all decisions. The college features six Executive Vice-Presidents, a change from the previous mandate, and a portfolio distribution heavily weighted toward competitiveness, industrial strategy, and defense. The composition of the 2024 college also reflects demographic shifts; the average age of nominees is 52, down from 56 in 2019, while the share of women in the proposed commission stands at 40.7%, a decrease from the 44.4% seen in the previous term.

The selection process was marked by challenges in achieving gender balance. While von der Leyen requested that member states nominate both a male and a female candidate, Bulgaria was the only country to comply. Most other states nominated only one individual, and the majority of these were men. Despite these hurdles, the final college includes five returning commissioners, with some serving their third or fourth mandates. As the Commission moves forward, it faces the standard rigorous confirmation process, where committees evaluate candidates on competence, independence, and portfolio knowledge—a stage that has historically resulted in the rejection of at least one candidate per mandate since 2004.

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