Von Der Leyen Clinches EU's Top Job as Europe Averts Deadlock
- Merkel ally gains EU Parliament nod for commission presidency
- Will be the first German in the top job in over half a century
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Ursula von der Leyen of Germany won confirmation as the next president of the European Commission, becoming the first woman set to assume Europe’s most powerful policy-making post.
The German defense minister received the European Parliament’s endorsement on Tuesday to succeed Jean-Claude Juncker of Luxembourg after pledging to spur investment through bolder climate policies. The verdict means a job held for the past 15 years by the continent’s Christian Democratic party, a traditional backer of open markets, will stay in its hands for the next five.