New European Commission delayed, to take office in December

Ursula von der Leyen will have to wait a bit longer before she takes over as the next European Commission president after the European Parliament delayed a vote on the appointment of her team on Wednesday.

The new European Commission, the powerful executive arm of the European Union which proposes laws and ensures they are implemented throughout the bloc, was initially scheduled to take office November 1, but European lawmakers rejected three proposed candidates, delaying the whole process.

European Parliament President David Sassoli and the chairmen of the various political groups met on Wednesday and decided not to include the vote of investiture in the agenda for next week's plenary session.

Parliament spokesman Jaume Duch tweeted that lawmakers are now "willing to vote on time to allow new Commission to start 1st December," and ask for the "rapid...