that balance it was easier in the past where you had the so-called grand coalition of the european parliament between the social democrats and between the conservatives but this time you need a 3rd party possible candidates the greens but they said very early on we're not getting one of those positions we don't like the topics we don't like the position . and so they seem to be out of the game so all the liberals came into the game that is a very interesting group now because you have the old school liberals in it but you also have the people from my calls french president. new kind of liberals and how they merged together that was unclear but we did hear today from their group leader there will be a large majority very large numbers that will support. and she managed to do this by staying yes and that was actually one point of criticism rather vague on many points but making it very clear on some points that are that could resonate with all those 3 parties where she stands and one of that is climate protection. you

mentioned the. role of the liberals within this way to dating let's have a listen to what some of the liberals have been saying about. this the child us what made you decide to support was a definite. so following the discussion that we have had we've heard these last weeks and the political commitment that she talks we are ready to vote for having but with some conditions to implement the political agenda that we decided together and mainly on conference for the future of europe we want to democratize the process of elections that european level is that we're that item is that the most important one that put you over the hump there are several have to single out one what is item i think the most important it's a real flow to have a european make anything for all implemented for all the european member states but also this democratic process at the european level it's also important the climate

agenda it's also very important the digitalisation program also the. investment program for the eastern and western european countries so many points but would you say that your group is going to follow her or are they going to be some that vote against her now we are awaiting that she will follow the political agenda that we decided together i mean in the vote today do you think they're going to support her in a large way and devote our group we'll support you know very large ways. ok so much so often you speaking that to address and i see a loss that i had of the liberals and the european parliament so clearly i'm quite impressed with myself on the law. yeah and that might have come as a small surprise that wasn't the biggest surprise of the day but they seemed you know not happy entirely happy at least with her presentation last week you have to remember it was a lot of fun i was very busy in the last week meeting with almost all the political

groups negotiating with them trying to get up to speed on all these topics the european union is a very complicated place and she had to catch up on all of this while the actually candidates of the parties had had months to do that no she did that in the matter of weeks and that's why you can tell she had a very steep learning curve wasn't up to date on many of the topics that the different groups asked last week including the liberals but now she made a much different impression and you also have to say the liberals were part of that deal that was struck by the leaders in brussels a couple of weeks ago and they the liberals so they will get the president of the european council his name is he's the former prime minister of belgium so for them to back out of the deal that would have gone very well that would have been an institutional crisis simon young the german chancellor angela merkel housetraining continues to be a major figure within europe she has said that she will not stand for

reelection. went up there must be a worry among some that will be seen as as merkel's puppet of the extension of merkel's. influence within the year well i suppose that that could be a worry 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 sits firmly in control of those she's had some health problems lately but she's she's still in in charge and plans to be 0 for the next 18 months at least. if she you know that is a different job and it's a much more powerful job in the end of course germany it's often said you know is the is the country that in many ways as the most as the strongest economy in europe

calls the shots and many does deliberations at european level and so that as i said before that that close working relationship between these 2 women i think will only help strengthen europe as well as of course cementing germany's position at the heart of europe max often in strasburg's talk about migration an issue that has that has split europe that has dogged europe it has caused problems for you that's caused problems for many countries across europe what has the would be. the would be commission president said about her stance on how to tackle that issue. her strategy was twofold when the title was we knew we need a new new start on migration so that resonates well with everybody it doesn't really mean anything and that's why she has this 2 fold strategy 1st of all she said we need to rescue at sea so that was something that would alienate only the

far right which obviously she doesn't care about and she also said she didn't care about those votes today in the european parliament so for very important to make sure people that try to cross the mediterranean and get into trouble are arrested and that's one part but the 2nd part and there she caters a more to the right and other influences in the european union when she says we need to also strengthen our border agency we need more people there we need to control the borders better and that's also consensus nowadays in the european union is nothing new really except that she wants a new start it's unclear how she wants to get there because really what's happened here and the gulf between especially eastern european countries and countries like germany is this deep is ever how she wants to get there is quite unclear maybe a new face will help maybe the fact that the eastern europeans like. because she

always took a tough stance on russia and her function as minister of defense with the nato got a lot of sympathies in eastern europe but right now this is just a promise like everything else and we don't know actually how she how she will get this through and put into reality. as to picking that i think it will actually saying is absolutely right you know it's extraordinary actually this speech that was lafond a line gave today she was really promising promising people the earth and promising one thing in one direction and one in another is as max said that she talked about human borders. the european union should have a humane border and at the same time she wants 10000 new border. patrolling the borders you know those are 2 things in 2 different directions it's the same on on the climate issue of course that's high on the agenda top of the gender if you like but she went to the greens group last week and they said well you know these are just good words what are you actually going to do and she's happily kind of raised

the percentage she's saying i will do will do a 55 percent cut in c o 2 emissions by 2050 which is what they demanded these things are easy to promise how is she going to make it happen and in fact she doesn't really have the powers or the authorities to make it happen as commission president it's all about you know what she what she stands for what she hopes to achieve how she hopes to cajole the the governments and i think we've seen an enormously sort of socialistic program put out today from a christian democrat conservative politician and many of her own christian democrat allies here in germany they will be pretty shocked by some of what they heard this morning so quick work with review point then went to how much do. peace in the leaders of the various blocs believe. sort of on the

line when she makes these promises do they do they need to believe or do they just have to hear her saying the words. she you need to be able to sell it and that's part of the process here you start by thinking about in the political groups who we like that person can we identify with that person and then you try to figure out what you need from that person from that candidate to make sure you have the support of the group and you can actually sell it to your voters and say yes we like this of course they know that the commission president doesn't have the powers that sometimes they pretend they commission president has i sometimes call it the most overestimated position in the world because everything assignments that she promised today she doesn't have the authority to do so i mean what she has if she does become president of the commission she has the right to initiate legislation but in the end legislation is decided in 2 places only that is right here in the european parliament together with the council of the european union which is often

in brussels so that comes back to the member states that's where the real power lies with the member states so it was enough on the line and tries all those things the climate legislation for example beefing up the border guards all of those things will only happen if the member states are on board because she can say and that's basically what she did here i will try to do that and that's why we heard many here member of the european parliament say ok we like what she's proposing and now it starts meaning that now we have to be vigilant that she actually keeps those promises on. health and strasburg thank you simon young politically correspondent thank you you're watching a special program here d.w. live from in the next 20 minutes or so we're expecting to hear a decision from the european parliament about whether i want to get off on the law and present german defense minister. will become the new commission president in

the meantime let's find out a little bit more about the woman to watch has been up to for the last couple of days. confident and smiling yet everything is on the line for it was found a lion who is resigning as german defense minister in her bid to lead that you commission. some called her address to parliament the speech of her lifetime the world is calling for more 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.

she 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 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 fear corporation a common european asylum system must be exactly that common. we can only have stable external borders if we give enough help to member states chasing the most pressure because of where they are on the map we need solidarity. from the ally and earn the endorsement of germany's original top choice for the job man fed viva sistani and she is a committed european and that's why we will pursue our goals together with her she has a european peoples party firm support and our vote just it's one thing. a number of

your of social democrats have also given her their blessing but the far right and the far left criticized her speech calling it a bouquet of empty promises. so respecting a decision about 15 minutes or so we're allowed bring that to you live and have reports on that from strasburg and here they had about we'll take a look at some of the other stories making news around the world but 1st a bold a patient in goma a major city in the east of the democratic republic of congo has died prompting fears that the contagious disease could now take hold that the victim was a pastor who became infected last week when visiting a town heavily hit by the outbreak. at least 2 people have died after a residential building collapsed in the indian city of mumbai rescuers are looking for dozens of others feared trapped in the rubble collapses a common during monsoon season as heavy rain weakens and poorly constructed

buildings. protesters in puerto rico have stepped up their calls for the resignation of a governor because. they're angry after a leaked text messages revealed a culture of intimidation and we saw today inside his government governor a cell of his so far refused to go saying it's in the island's best interest for him to stay for. 50 years ago today july the 16th 1999 buzz aldrin and michael collins or poised to make history as part of the apollo 11 mission millions cheered in to watch their rocket lift off these are the original black and white images this 1st manned mission to the moon and i took to the skies from nasa as kennedy space center in florida and restates destination 4 days later the vessel was america demonstrating its power to the world today those black and white images are available in color bringing a new generation.