challenging and ursula fonda lyon has not left the defense ministry in a particularly good condition there are problems for instance with weapons systems that need modernising plenty of other equipment doesn't work properly there is a need to recruit germans to the armed forces a lot of them are on willing to join there's been money wasted on expensive advisors have plenty of other internal problems and also there's the question of the military budget and a great cram karrenbauer is known to support the idea of increasing military spending but of course you have to argue that out with the finance minister and one of the chancellor angela merkel she's in her final as chancellor does she still carry the or far too she used to when she said she's not going to stand for chancellor again so she's in her final years but i think it's been a good couple of days for the chancellor she's got to have her close allies now in the front rank and of course with us live on the line in brussels. will be assured of being at the very least heard and understood. at the top level of the europea

you chris thank you have been watching special coverage of an address by germany's ursula fonda line before the european parliament in strasburg it is her last chance to make her case to e.u. lawmakers in her bid to become the 1st woman president of the european commission she needs to secure a majority in a confirmation vote being held later today we saw founder lyon highlight the principles that have guided her career namely is strong europe. in conviction she also highlighted the challenges that she will address as president of the european commission digitalisation climate change and defending based order. and we have a full analysis here in our studio now of the speech that has just taken place our brussels bureau chief max hoffman is standing by in strasburg and we also have melinda crane our chief political correspondent joining us here in the studio and max i'd like to begin with you because you watched the speech happening live there and you know arcilla funded she really had a lot of people to convince in the room do you think that she did so effectively. well at least

commission president you had said governments have nominated to germany's fonda lion she needs a simple majority of any piece to be confirmed in the position the commission is the executive proposing the new laws and implementing decisions the commission president plays a key role in deciding the bloc future and direction. fons alliance nomination has been the controversial anteater blues of brussels bureau chief knocks off one at the european parliament in strasburg and political correspondent simon a young here they're here to talk us through the arguments so welcome both so let's start with you max hoffman in strasburg i am told that the voting has now finished counting is underway how do you rate on the lines chances. well we just said those boxes going past us here and that's where the fate of the line is so as you said the voting is done now begins the counting so we want to know what those crucial players voted for especially the social democrats and that's why i'm talking to. you who's next to me he's the head of the italian delegation in the social democratic political group a

were already saying no no we should vote for fonda lie and get this vote over the line and get on with european business and there are too many important issues like the economy like the euro like jobs like climate change things we've got to deal with that european level and you know clearly it was in a form the line is a competent person even if she's not our 1st choice so it was close but she has done it the european commission will have a new president from november president is the german defense minister said off on the line here she is thanking the european parliament for their endorsement i feel so honored and i'm overwhelmed and i thing you for the trust you placed in me yet the trust you placed in me is confidence you placed in your of your confidence in the united and a strong europe from east to west from south to north your confidence in a europe that is ready to fight for the future rather than fighting against each other your confidence in a europe that will take the fixed challenges of our times together the task ahead of us how mobile it's me. it's a big responsibi

arcilla fonda lie and one lawmaker is backing to take on the role she has promised a quote united at a strong europe saying that she would work constructively and pragmatically in order to achieve it she will succeed in the top job after being voted in by a narrow majority. uncertainty until the very last minute. the members of the european parliament here installs book new with a vote on the next commission president was going to be close but not even the candidate herself was a loaf on the line would have thought it was going to be that close. vote the 5 votes in favor 3 shots 383. things are on the line secure the majority by just 9 books a week results in the end still enough to celebrate. my message so all of you is let us work together constructively because of the endevor is a united a strong year old. the former german defense minister spent the last 2 weeks building a majority trying to convince the political groups in the european parliament to support her bid. her final address to parliament which some called the speech of her lifetime seem to have tilt of the scale in her

they are voting today max what to any piece there make of fonda line as the nominee to become commission president. it depends which political group you asked now the greens have flatly rejected the whole package so if things don't change dramatically in the next 2 weeks they will not vote in favor of. the conservatives will vote for it was enough on the line at least most likely many of them were not happy with the choice because they wanted their candidate during the campaign months to be able to be the nominee but that didn't happen it's going to be difficult for them to oppose fund a lie nevertheless because like i said she's from the same party and so the conservative e.p. p. would continue to provide the e.u. commission president now the key to this whole conundrum are the sole szell democrats they are extremely disappointed because up until the end it looks like they're the candidate plans to moments was going to be the choice of the leaders in brussels but that didn't happen as we all know it so now they have to arrange themselves with the situation when you talk to so

win over its political opponents germany is a sort of fonda linus in a final push to become the 1st female head of the e.u. is powerful commission. catastrophic flooding across south asia scores have been killed and.

it's interesting you know a few years ago fonda line was seen as a potential successor to angle a medical worker was at least named in the sort of list of a few people who could follow angle of medical eventually and start it does seem to slightly wane since then as i say she's been in this job at the defense ministry and they've been difficulties there in various sky. randall's and she's perceived not to have dealt with it absolutely perfectly so. her star has has faded a little bit now she's coming from behind if you like and if she gets this vote today we should say it's still up in the air but if she if she is voted through she'll have something like a job that's in a way bigger than german chancellor in that it covers a larger geographical territory and obviously the potential reach of that job. on a huge stage of course the european commission isn't a government it's sort of been a straight in it it's a guiding administrative organ and you know really also defining in some ways what the european union will eventually become the german chancellor a well angular medical still

towards fonda lion the she's seen also as someone who can polarize in certain elements as well and especially in this position as germany's defense minister and the fact that the board does various facing so much problem to something that many people have criticized in the past and only recently she was also facing some struggle as well as we saw some elements some examples of germany's military capability were not functioning very well so those are all elements to describe sort of underlying you know thomas we've been talking about her we have a closer look now at a who was left on the line is let's take a look she's considered a close ally of german chancellor and in america who said that fundamentally in german defense minister christian conservative and on temple the titian. a medical doctor and mother of 7 from them lie until into america seaview party india the ninety's she later headed to ministry of family and women before serving as minister. as germany's 1st female defense minister funded lyon has aim to revamp the country's armed forces but recently she has to earn criti

on the line for it was the fonda lion who is resigning as german defense minister in her bid to lead the u. commission some called her address to parliament the speech of her lifetime the world is calling formally the world needs more you i believe europe should have a stronger and more united voice in the world and it needs to act fast the conservative said european unity is the antidote to the continent's biggest challenges most pressing among them climate change. this is the greatest responsibility and opportunity of our times i want europe to become the 1st climate neutral continent in the world by 2050. thank you celebrated her candidacy as a step forward for women she would become the commission's 1st female leader the german politician also promised a new e.u. approach to asylum it was a nod to italy greece and spain which process the most asylum applications because of their proximity to north africa and the middle east fearful peroration a common european asylum system must be exactly that common. we can only have stable external borders if we give enough help to member

who had stood up for election unlike fonda ally in the social democrats defending the streets and condy dalton princip principle and saying that they the reason why they don't support the line in that position so although she does have the support of the european leaders as we just saw they could also be some controversy here in germany as to that possible position for those of us on the line here thomas i saw a note from a martin shultz who used to be the head of the social democrats you're also president the european parliament we should say saying that she's the the weakest member of chancellor merkel's cabinet definitely against that choice but what would it mean for germany if funded one is indeed confirmed as the e.u. commission the chief. 1st it would be a victory for angela merkel probably on the call barbara just said try to present that name step by step in a very typical fashion for angela merkel and that would be certainly an important position for a german to hold it is still remains it's remains to be seen whether that will be something that in the long term other eu

proposed somewhat differently but the fact that fonda and i and as you say was not the 1st not the 2nd not the 3rd choice does indicate to what extent european leaders actually struggled with this decision and it also reveals to what extent or sort of on the line may be a good candidate for this job after all as i said earlier she did please not only germany and france but some of the eastern european countries as well and that has to do probably it with the fact that she's one of the most well known german ministers of all internally here in germany she may have had to deal with all these problems what she has also been someone who in different international venue's has called for a bigger role for germany internationally for a big european role in terms of security and defense someone who has called for germany to lead from the center something she mentioned also a few years ago so windows are probably reasons why it was a lot on the line was also well known well known not to european level and not only here in germany where her role is extremely controversial there are those who

the world health organization thank you it's a pleasure. germany's a sort of fonda lion has announced that she will step down as the country's defense minister she hopes the european parliament will vote tomorrow to give her a new job as the 1st european president of the year of the commission that outcome is far from certain was founded on mr win over skeptics in the parliament and to do so she's been a little charm offensive making a raft of promises to win lawmakers back. keeping up with. it's not an easy task last week. she was on the move constantly meeting almost all the political groups of the e.u. parliament. she needs to convince enough parliamentarians that she is the right woman for the commission presidency and that could be a problem especially with the social democrats in the european parliament they've called her commitments to being and they dislike their fund and wasn't even one of the lead candidates especially the german social democrats are up in arms about the members of the social democratic group in the european parliament has not taken a final decision yet i gu

been campaigning for in brussels germany's defense minister ursula fonda line has been on a charm offensive there as part of her quest to become president of the commission on her agenda if she's successful fighting climate change and integrating europe's own forces. walk. through the busy it's fun to lyons 1st public appearance as nominee for the e.u. commission presidency the european union's top job her priority is to speak with m.e.p. is 1st to clarify her position and gauge the mood she's meeting with european social democrats who are critical of fund a lion a conservative and i mean for she was specific on some issues but on other areas she stayed quite vague so that was definitely not the end of our discussions. fund a lion needs 374 parliamentary votes to get the job it's not clear how much support she'll get from social democrats greens and business friendly parties she can rely on the 182 votes from her own group the e.p. p. and possibly the european conservatives and reformists or e.c. our critics are hinting their decision on her stance on climate policy rescues of mig

that nomination before ms fonda line can be appointed and that's far from a done deal. straight to the straight to strasburg that might be found d.w.b. correspondent hoffman welcome where is the opposition to the line coming from. the opposition is coming from all sides for example from the social democrats who are disappointed that they couldn't have their lead candidate who campaigned for them funds in the lead for that position also from the greens but the doors opened at least with the greens who said it depends on what kind of program will fund and will propose but oddly enough maybe not so odd if you think about it there is also opposition in her own party the european people's party so the conservatives the reason for this is that they also had a different beat candidate monthly so that's the man who went on the campaign trail for the party beginning in last september and so he was hoping and his party was also hoping that he would be the one probe posed by the leaders for the commission presidency as we all know that went downhill and completely changed so the question real

of fonda line but we've heard from many other social democrats the spanish are the biggest political group right now in the social democratic group and they are in favor as we understand even the leader of that group so the leader of the whole social democrats who haven't said the spanish is stood up and gave her standing ovations also the italians are inspected to vote in her favor we also expect the brits to vote in favor of fundal line because she made such a strong stance on on bragg's it saying here in this speech also she is ready ready to push the withdrawal date even further back if there is a if there is a good reason for that and you can imagine what would happen in parliament when she said that because you have many bright city years in there are a lot of booing but it will get her the votes of the social democrats of the u.k. who are in favor some of them at least of no bragg's it at all so you can see she played her cards quite well mixing it with her personal story makes it with the fact that she's the 1st woman candidate for the european commission presidency

the europol of it if that's to be so we discussed the unpopular choice the on fonda lie and with expert . what i think we have 2 problems one problem is that our last democracy must lead in how do. you see her becoming the was the most votes come the president was the european commission and now subsequent completely different kmart's. second thing is. all about follow my disquiet. and the more once there is that investigation comment you log. or on who are caught. or external. people from outside the ministry in the summer of 200000000 euro political decisions can be regarded as. democratic if one of 2 conditions are is met the population has to be involved in the actual decision making in some meaningful way or 2nd. political decisions must reflect popular preferences now funded lines nomination doesn't lead either cried tyria so yes it's undemocratic by both standards. maritime piracy that's how iran describes the seizure of its oil supertanker by british marines it happened on thursday off the southern tip of the iberian peninsula near gibraltar a british territory disputed b

funded lion was in the fonda lion is germany's minister of defense on a such she is in charge of a extremely difficult and controversial ministry this is a ministry that is but has been criticized time and time again because of the state of the forces here in germany the criticisms relate to the readiness to the capability of the armed forces on a such as a reform the line has also been criticised although it's important to stress to some of the problems she inherited this is a role that in many cases has been described as korea so depending on what your position is on was it on the line you may think that she has done a good job given the circumstances or she hasn't done enough to change things in the bundesliga so that said that's one issue why germans may be skeptical about her she's also facing an investigation into spending irregularities and i think many germans are also not happy about her nomination because of the way that she was nominated in the end not having been on the ballot during the european elections if she does get the top job with that allow her to skate full of

been following for you here on news germany's ursula fonda line is about to address the european parliament in her final push for the e.u. used. a majority of lawmakers must approve her nomination in today's vote if she is to become the 1st woman president of the european commission g w we'll be carrying that speech live at 9 am. and still to come here on news on business the european parliament on a new what commission will face this as usual or will we see brussels take a harder stance on the trade dispute with washington monica jones has all that and more. so we leave you now with some rare pictures of a large pod of dolphins having fallen off the coast of southern california i'm sorry kelly and carla thanks for watching. her 1st day of school in the jungle. first camillus and. then doris crane moment arrives. join during a tank on her journey back to freedom. in our interactive documentary. story on the radio 10 returns home on d w dot com tang's. welcome to the girl max new 2 channel. goodbye no stewards. with exclusive sights. the must see concerning parts culture consider

you think about fonda line which would be a good president for the commission i think the jury is out in some respects i think she would be good she has a good network she is well respected across europe as well as in america she has strong experience in some of the areas that are going to count for the next 5 years most obviously defense you've been defense minister in germany for some time but i think there are plenty of reasons to worry she does she unlike almost every previous commission president she's not been head of state or of government because she doesn't have any particular experience an economic policy that could be a big issue for the next commission president and what she used to be considered as a possible successor to angela merkel some years ago that notion has disappeared now and i think it's largely because i was not able to build a support base for herself inside the christian democratic union and when you're president of the european commission where your constrained by different opinions by different governments all the time it's very important to be able to bui

usual self she's actually seen a week that's been very successful for her where she managed to put fonda line for defense minister at the top of the european commission voted in there but we also saw during all the ceremonies that went with all of that using a chair to avoid once again being put in the spot where she then could be seen to be visibly shaking what her response is basically she's fine she still once again won't give exact details as to what the origin is of this visible weakness that we've seen in the past but i also want to add that we've seen quite a bit of polling here in germany certainly that by a majority of german seen as being a largely private affair. despite the speculation she has repeated her determination to govern until 2021 i think she'll last that long well healthwise she seemed pretty stable today at the same time she's in a very difficult spot when it comes to her governing coalition with the social democrats suffered weakness after weakness and this actually was a pit in my german social democrats not voting for the fund the line the 1st german in decades

resistance to us or the former defense minister mrs fonda line. is going to take something with her in her new job so important for europe and what she will take is what message down told us namely there is a utopian view dimension to resistance because it is a european identity which is very much based on the elementary the fundamental human rights thank you. for your brand of lock out your own ideas. as in many parts of my legacy posters so the german art of freedom flourishes quoting parts of the manifesto the resistance fighters and one of the your. if you government declarations from july 24th the resistance was in order to ensure dignity like we need to properly treat every human being and they also say you are somewhere in this manifesto the persecution of youth of jews which culminated in deeply embarrassing impossible to repair the consequences is something which we must stop immediately. much of what they want to it was controversial much of what they said was dependent on the situation they were in and the time they live in but one thing they will agreed on in the rule of di