Ursula von der Leyen re-elected to second term as European Commission president

Speaking ahead of the vote, Ms von der Leyen said she would ‘never let the extreme polarisation of our societies become accepted’ (Jean-Francois Badias/AP)

Ursula von der Leyen has been re-elected to serve a second five-year term as president of the European Parliament.

She was given a comfortable majority to continue her leadership of the European Union’s executive commission, heading off a possible leadership vacuum.