Ursula von der Leyen won support from MEPs on Thursday for another five-year term as president of the European Commission, the EU's powerful executive body.
The 720-member European Parliament approved her with 401 votes in favour, 284 against and 15 abstentions. She needed 361 votes to pass.
It came after Green MEPs agreed to back her following her pledge to stay the course on Europe's green transition while cushioning its burden on industry.
5 more years.
I can’t begin to express how grateful I am for the trust of all MEPs that voted for me. pic.twitter.com/d9n3yfIVtS
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) July 18, 2024
Fine Gael MEPs were the only Irish representatives to say they had voted in favour of Ms von der Leyen.
Ciaran Mullooly, the Independent Ireland MEP who sits in the Renew group with Fianna Fáil, decided to vote against Ms von der Leyen, meaning 10 of Ireland’s 14 MEPs did not support the Commission president.
The others who voted against her include the four Fianna Fáil MEPs, Labour’s Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Independents Michael McNamara and Luke 'Ming' Flanagan, and the two Sinn Féin MEPs Lynn Boylan and Kathleen Funchion. The four Fine Gael MEPs voted in her favour.
Von Der Leyen might not do transparency but I do. #NotoVDL pic.twitter.com/CBmmYCUI6P
— Lynn Boylan ??? (@LNBDublin) July 18, 2024
Sinn Féin’s Lynn Boylan, who earlier claimed that a vote for von der Leyen was a vote for “genocide”, posted a photo of her ballot, which is held in secret, proving that she had voted against von der Leyen.
Boylan said her Sinn Féin colleague Kathleen Funchion also voted against von der Leyen.
I've just voted against @vonderleyen as President of the European Commission. Here's the proof. Where's yours @fiannafailparty @ciaranmullooly @AodhanORiordain
She's not fit for the job. #NothingToHide pic.twitter.com/cMwfVbwT2l— Luke 'Ming' Flanagan (@lukeming) July 18, 2024
“Say No to genocide and say No to Von Der Leyen,” said Boylan in a statement before the vote.
Independent Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan and the Labour Party MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin also posted images of their ballot to X, formerly Twitter.
For the record. pic.twitter.com/qoD4mQTsrA
— Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (@AodhanORiordain) July 18, 2024
Mr Flanagan called on Fianna Fáil MEPs to do the same.
