Ursula von der Leyen, the centre-right candidate, addressed supporters at the party's headquarters in Brussels, after a preliminary assessment of the European elections showed that the European People's Party remains the strongest political formation, which will lead the new European Parliament. with over 180 deputies.
Seeing the alarming rise of the far right, which emerged as the first force in France and Austria, as well as the second force in Germany, Von der Leyen vowed to build an "anti-extremist bastion" in the new EU parliament. of.
"We will build a bulwark against extremes from the left and the right. No majority can be formed without the EPP. We are the strongest party. We are the anchor of stability and voters accept our leadership for the last five years. We were determined, we were united, we succeeded!", she declared.
Von der Leyen, who is running for a second term at the head of the European Commission, reflected on her campaign, during which she visited 17 member states and 31 cities.
"This was one of the best experiences I have ever had in my political life. It was really wonderful," she said, noting that she had felt a lot of faith in the EPP and the European Union . "And tonight, that has been confirmed." , she told supporters.