Editorial: Le Monde

• Ursula von der Leyen was reinstated at the head of the European Commission, providing some continuity in the orientation that the twenty-seven members of the EU have set out for the next five years.
• Von der Leyen has secured wider support for her second term, despite European elections marked by the rise of the far-right and the decline of the Greens and liberals from Renew.
• The German leader has done her homework, making concessions to all the parties of her majority to assure support and stability.
• Von der Leyen's skillfulness has been in telling each party of her majority what they wanted to hear, avoiding sensitive topics such as free trade so as not to upset the French.
• She maintains her firm stance on essential topics such as climate change and support for Ukraine, reaffirming emblematic measures like the ban on the sale of thermal engine vehicles from 2035.
• The consensus reached will have to prove its solidity during the next mandate, which includes clearing ambiguous promises, quantifying commitments, and selecting the twenty-seven commissioners in a coherent manner.

Conclusion: Ursula von der Leyen has managed to strike a balance by satisfying different parties while staying focused on key issues. Her challenge will be to maintain this consensus and abide by the promises made throughout her mandate.

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