BRUSSELS — Ursula von der Leyen has just pulled off a delicate green balancing act.
The German politician secured a second term as European Commission president Thursday with a political program carefully designed to woo both conservatives and environmentalists, who united to give her a comfortable victory.
Here’s how she did it: Smuggle green policies into her program, all framed as measures to boost the economy and security, and leave the inevitable fights for tomorrow.
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“The fundamentals of the global economy are changing,” she said in a speech to the European Parliament ahead of the vote. “Those who stand still will fall behind. Those who are not competitive will be dependent. So the race is on, and I want Europe to switch gear.”
