Parliament to vote on Ursula von der Leyen’s nomination for Commission President If elected by MEPs on Thursday, Ursula von der Leyen is set to return to the office of European Commission President for the next five years. At 09.00 on Thursday, she will take the floor in Parliament’s plenary session and outline her vision and plans as Commission President, followed by a debate with MEPs. The vote by secret paper ballot will take place at 13.00, following the debate. Background Article 14 of the Treaty of the European Union provides that the EP “shall elect the President of the Commission.” In practice, based on Parliament’s Rules of Procedure (rule 128), the candidate proposed by the European Council has to present their political guidelines to Parliament, followed by a debate. Parliament then elects the President of the Commission by a majority of its component MEPs - i.e. 361, in a Parliament of 720 Members. If the candidate does not obtain the required majority, the President will invite the European Council to put forward another within one month, for election in accordance with the same procedure. Ms von der Leyen has been Commission President since 2019 and was the EPP’s lead candidate in the 6 - 9 June European elections.