EU's von der Leyen seeks centrist allies after far-right election gains

11/6/2024 6:19

        European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen began trying to piece together a coalition on Monday after the far right gained ground in a European Parliament election, spurring French President Emmanuel Macron to call a snap national vote.
        
        Centrist parties won a majority of seats in the four-day election, but the rightward shift may make it tougher to pass new legislation to respond to security challenges, climate change or industrial competition from China and the U.S.
        
        Von der Leyen, the German president of the European Union's powerful executive body, emerged strengthened from the election across 27 countries that concluded on Sunday, as her centre-right European People's Party (EPP) gained seats.
        
        But to secure a second five-year term, von der Leyen needs the support of a majority of the EU's national leaders and a working majority in the European Parliament.