Germany’s former defense minister, Ursla von der Leyen, will become the first woman to hold the EU’s top position as the president of the European Commission. She was narrowly elected by a vote of 383 to 327. Von der Leyen has promised to enact parliamentary and election reform, improve European gender equality, and make climate change a key priority. She also pledged to create a “green deal for Europe” within her first 100 days in office. Von der Leyen’s administration is scheduled to take office in November 2019. She will face many critical challenges including the fallout of Brexit, along with the rising popularity of more conservative Eurosceptic politicians throughout Europe.
