German gov’t, energy industry welcome von der Leyen’s EU re-election as sign of climate continuity

The re-election of European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has largely been welcomed by Germany’s government, observers in the energy industry and by civil society groups, who all highlighted the German conservative politician’s sustained commitment to the EU Green Deal and the union’s emissions reduction targets. In her candidacy speech ahead of the vote, von der Leyen stressed that the Commission under hear lead “sticks to the targets of the European Green Deal with pragmatism, technology-neutrality and innovation” and “implements what it agrees in a fair way.” She pointed out the progress in energy transition policies achieved since 2019 and promised that “we will stay the course on our new growth strategy and the goals we set for 2030 and 2050. Our focus now will be on implementation and investment to make it happen on the ground. This is why I will put forward a new Clean Industrial Deal in the first 100 days.”

Green Party politician Robert Habeck, Germany’s vice chancellor and economy and climate action minister, said he looks forward to “good and trustful cooperation” with von der Leyen, who hails from the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU). The incumbent Commission president’s re-election had been made possible by backing from the European Greens. Her renewed appointment “sends a strong signal for stability, unity and the ability to form democratic alliances,” Habeck stressed, adding that this would be a key asset at a time when the EU must increasingly pull its weight as a geopolitical actor in the face of multiple crises. “It is decisive that the target of climate neutrality no later than 2050 will be pursued rigorously to provide citizens and companies with planning security,” the minister added, promising to support the Commission president’s work in this field.  

“The ground-breaking climate policies introduced during Ursula von der Leyen's previous Commission presidency have positioned the EU as a world leader in the clean energy transition,” said Sarah Brown, Europe programme director at think tank Ember. Her re-election by a majority of the European Parliament for a second term would thus show “the EU’s continued commitment to executing the Green Deal,” Brown argued. The head of the Association of German Water and Energy Industries (BDEW), Kerstin Andreae, said the EU is facing a range of challenges in energy and climate policy in the next five years of von der Leyen’s second term “that can only be tackled together in a strong European Union.” This includes the EU’s Fit-for-55 programme for emissions reduction by 2030, the packages for securing Europe’s natural gas and hydrogen supply, the new design of the European electricity market and more. “Now it is about keeping course,” Andreae said, lauding von der Leyen’s stated aim to uphold these key policies also under a new European Commission.

The German Farmers’ Association (DBV), which was at the forefront in Germany amid Europe-wide protests by the agricultural industries earlier this year against tighter environmental regulation and the scrapping of fossil fuel subsidies, said Von der Leyen’s new Commission “must put the focus on competitiveness.” DBV head Joachim Rukwied said agricultural policy must play a greater role for the incoming administration than it had during the previous term. “In light of the multiple challenges for our sector, the next months will be about securing a significantly higher agriculture budget” in the Commission’s financial planning, Rukwied argued, adding that the German farming lobby “continues to stand behind the Green Deal’s targets.” However, the framework would have to be revised and some of the regulation addressing forest conservation or soil quality management would have to be cut, he said.

Von der Leyen has headed the EU’s administrative branch since 2019 and during her term oversaw the introduction of key climate and energy policy instruments, particularly the EU Green Deal. Her re-election after the latest EU elections that resulted in large gains for far-right parties has required centre-right CDU politician Von der Leyen to negotiate with almost all other democratic forces in the European Parliament and ensure that key policy measures, including in climate and energy, remain in place.