In total, 370 deputies voted for the new European Union executive team, while 282 voted against and 36 abstained, making this the slimmest majority in the history of the commission.

Among those who cast their ballots against were deputies from Poland’s main opposition party, the nationalist-populist Law and Justice (PiS).

Wednesday’s vote count is lower than the 401 ballots that von der Leyen, a center-right German politician, secured personally in July when she was re-elected as the president of commission. Some observers interpreted this as a sign of the growing influence of right-wing factions within the EU parliament.

Challenges ahead

The new executive, set to take office from December 1 for a five-year legislative cycle, is likely to face major challenges, which includes Donald Trump’s return to the White House as the 47th U.S. president, the war in Ukraine, now approaching its third year, China’s rising ascendency, and climate change.

Following the vote in Strasbourg, von der Leyen said that Ukraine, defense, migration management and EU enlargement would remain among the top priorities of her new team.

Addressing lawmakers, she said: “Our fight for freedom may look different to generations past. But the stakes are just as high.

“These freedoms will not come for free. It will mean making difficult choices. It will mean massive investment in our security and prosperity. And above all, it will mean staying united and true to our values.”

Call for more defense spending

In the run-up to the vote, von der Leyen stressed that Europe needs to increase its defense expenditure, adding that there was “something wrong in [the] equation” given that Moscow was spending up to 9% of its GDP on defense while the European average hovers at around just 1.9%.

“Our defense spending must increase” she said, adding: “War is raging at Europe’s borders, and we must be ready for what lies ahead, working hand in hand with NATO.”

Fifteen of the 27 new commissioners, including von der Leyen, are either members of or aligned with the center-right European People’s Party (EPP), while two others are associated with nationalist and far-right groups.

Among the new commissioners is Poland’s Piotr Serafin, a trusted aide of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who will serve as the bloc’s budget commissioner.

The outgoing commission consisted of ten EPP commissioners and one allied with an anti-EU nationalist party.