International
Ursula von der Leyen, re-elected as president of the European Commission for five more years
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, obtained this Thursday the confidence of the European Parliament to repeat in office for five more years, thanks to the support of 401 MEPs in a hemicycle of 720 seats.
Before the vote, Von der Leyen explained to MEPs what their priorities would be for the new presidency, among which he confirmed his intention to appoint a Defense Commissioner, among whose objectives will be to promote a European anti-aircraft shield.
“We need to build common European projects, for example a complete air defense system, not only to protect our airspace, but also to send a clear and strong message of European unity in the field of defense,” Von der Leyen said.
In this way, he collected one of the proposals that the governments of Germany and Poland have promoted for the coming years.
Von der Leyen assured that European countries will always maintain the responsibility of their own troops, from their training to their deployment, but “there is much that Europe can do to support and coordinate efforts.”
In this sense, he said that he will extend cooperation between the EU and NATO.
German politics criticized the recent trip of the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, to Moscow, which the Hungarian president has defended as a “peace mission” and Von der Leyen called a “appeasement mission”: no one wants peace as much as the Ukrainians, he said.
In this sense, she was in favor of “giving Ukraine everything it needs to resist and emerge victorious” and at the same time “doing everything possible to protect the Europeans,” with NATO as a pillar of the collective defense architecture and reinforcing a defense spending that she still called “too low and ineffective.”
The mention of Hungary was the only reference to any of the 27 member states in the entire speech and led some MEPs from the bench of the two far-right groups, where Orbán’s own MEPs sit, booing Von der Leyen with chants in defense of the president.
At another point in his speech, he asked for the confidence of the European Parliament to revalidate his position at the head of the Community Executive, warning that Europe now faces “a clear decision that will define our world in the next five years, but also our place in the world in the next fifty.”
German politics, which today needs a majority of 361 seats in a European Parliament of 720 members, said that it asks for the confidence of MEPs because it came to politics “to make a difference for the whole of society” and with the generations of its children and grandchildren.
“I am convinced that the version of Europe after the end of World War II, with all its imperfections and inequalities, is still the best version of history. I will never stand by and watch how they destroy it from the outside or from the inside,” he said.
Von der Leyen declared herself “ready to lead that fight with all the democratic forces” of the European Parliament and said that she will always “reject the extreme polarization of our societies” or that “demagogues and extremists” destroy the European way of life.
Regarding her program, the president of the European Commission assured that her future team will include key members on issues such as competitiveness, simplification of legislation and defense and its industry, among others.
He also announced that he will appoint a European Commissioner whose responsibilities will include addressing the housing crisis and the first ‘European Affordable Housing Plan’.
As part of her political guidelines for the next European Commission (2024-2029), published today, the president assured that the European Union must “urgently address the housing crisis” that affects “millions of families and young people,” despite the fact that it has no competence in these policies.
The European housing plan and the portfolio entrusted to a European Commissioner “will address structural factors, develop a strategy for housing construction, offer technical assistance to cities and Member States and focus on investment.”
To this end, the new Commission, he said, will work with the European Investment Bank (EIB) on a “pan-European investment” for affordable and sustainable housing in order to attract more public and private investment.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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