Statement by President-elect Ursula von der Leyen - Hoofdinhoud

We are currently in a democratic and transparent parliamentary process. I have proposed 26 candidates, 23 of whom have now been accepted. Three candidates did not obtain majority support for varied reasons. Therefore, the nominations for Hungary, Romania and France are still open.

This afternoon I met the Presidents of the EPP, i S&D and i Renew Europe i groups in the European Parliament i to discuss the situation. I also met with the President of the European Parliament.

We must not lose sight of what is at stake: the next five years will be decisive for Europe in a difficult global environment. Europe must deal with Brexit, trade issues and conflicts in its immediate neighbourhood. We must also face up to major challenges such as climate change, digitisation and migratory flows.

With so much at stake, it is now necessary, together with Parliament, to speed up the process so that Europe can act swiftly. At the same time, all involved in the process need sufficient time to approach the next steps with care. This must be a common objective.

STATEMENT/19/6065