On 27 November, the European Parliament gave its final approval to the second College of Commissioners led by President Ursula von der Leyen for the 2024–2029 term. This decision, made just hours after the Conference of Presidents officially concluded the hearing process, was swiftly endorsed by the European Council. This brought the complex procedure, marked by significant political infighting, to a close, enabling the new College to take office on 1 December.

The European Parliament’s plenary vote, in which the “von der Leyen II” Commission secured 53% of the votes in favour, marked the narrowest majority for a European Commission since 1993, when the Parliament first gained the right to vote on the College. This outcome was significantly tighter than the 61% approval received by the “von der Leyen I” Commission in 2019, highlighting growing polarisation across the political spectrum.

The process had initially unfolded smoothly, with the relevant European Parliament committees conducting three-hour hearings for the Commissioners-designate between 4 and 12 November, quickly approving most candidates. However, on the final day of the hearings, votes on the Executive Vice-Presidents (EVPs) and Hungarian Commissioner-designate Olivér Várhelyi were delayed. This was largely due to criticism from the Socialists over President von der Leyen’s decision to allocate the EVP portfolio for Cohesion and Reforms to Italian Raffaele Fitto, as well as the assignment of responsibilities inclusive of reproductive rights to Várhelyi, both of whom are affiliated with conservative parties positioned to the right of the EPP. At the same time, the EPP raised concerns over the appointment of Socialist Teresa Ribera as EVP for a Clean, Just, and Competitive Transition, citing the handling of the recent catastrophic floods in Southern Spain in her current role as Ecological Transition Minister.

On 20 November, leaders of the centre-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D), the centrist Renew group, and the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) reached a compromise to maintain a delicate balance among the various factions in Europe’s increasingly fragmented political landscape. As part of this agreement, Olivér Várhelyi was stripped of responsibilities related to reproductive and sexual rights as well as health preparedness. This compromise ensured that the von der Leyen II Commission became the first since 1999 to see all its nominees approved without rejections.

Following the European Parliament’s confirmation, President Ursula von der Leyen announced her team’s readiness to begin work “immediately,” with a key priority being the unveiling of a “competitiveness compass,” inspired by the Draghi report, to be accompanied by a single law to streamline legislation governing the Single Market. Von der Leyen also reiterated her ambition to present a Clean Industrial Deal within the first 100 days of the mandate, alongside initiatives addressing the future of the car industry and the circular economy.

R&I has gained a prominent role in the policy and political discourse on competitiveness and industrial resilience over the last few months and is therefore expected to be featured prominently in the legislation stemming from this new EU political cycle, due to its acknowledged role as an indispensable lever to boost the EU’s fading competitiveness while ensuring progress on the path to net zero by 2050.