Incoming EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday the rule of law must hold everywhere in the bloc, signalling no respite for nationalist governments in Poland and Hungary at odds with Brussels on upholding democratic standards.
"There can be no compromise when it comes to respecting the rule of law. There never will be," she told the European Parliament, which later voted to give her and her new Commission final approval to start work from December 1.
The vote in the Strasbourg parliament was 461 in favour, 157 against, and 89 abstentions. Von der Leyen needed a simple majority to secure confirmation as commission president.
Speaking at the parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg ahead of the vote, von der Leyen placed emphasis on the need for comprehensive reforms to the EU and fighting climate change.
Speaking to Reuters last month, von der Leyen said she will travel extensively to speak to EU leaders in an attempt to bridge divisions.
One of her first trips following her July nomination was to Poland, where the ruling eurosceptic government has repeatedly clashed with the EU's political hub Brussels, including over migration and climate.
"Everyone understands we may have different interests, we may want to go different in different directions, but it helps to understand that we have to tackle a problem together," von der Leyen told Reuters.
Von der Leyen will be the first woman to hold the EU's top job.
The 61-year-old former German defence minister, who is succeeding Jean-Claude Juncker, will face a full in-tray including economic reform and migration as well as climate change.
She has pledged to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 and to toughen the target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
In order to appeal to the more carbon-intensive economies in the EU, most in the east, she has pledged extra funds to support projects that would contribute to lower emissions while not stifling the economies.
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 News in English, Reuters