Manfred Weber has been re-elected unopposed as the leader of the European People's Party (EVP) during the party congress held in Valencia, Spain, on April 29, 2025.

In his address, Merz promised to strengthen the European Union and emphasized the need for increased German leadership, receiving enthusiastic applause from delegates.

Weber highlighted the urgent need for a unified defense and foreign policy in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and diminishing U.S. support.

The congress will address pressing issues such as the war in Ukraine, rising living costs, and the threats posed by populism and extremism.

Despite facing challenges due to a significant power outage the previous day, the congress is set to conclude with discussions on internal party reforms.

This marks Weber's second term as the head of the largest political group in the European Parliament, maintaining the same level of support as his initial election.

Weber received 502 out of 563 valid votes, achieving a support rate of 89%, consistent with his initial election results in 2022.

Notable attendees at the congress included Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and Friedrich Merz, who is set to be elected as Chancellor of Germany on May 6, 2025.

He called for the EVP to take a leading role in combating populism, supporting Ukraine, and reinforcing social market economies against authoritarian regimes.

Von der Leyen praised Weber's leadership, noting the EVP's significant victory in the 2024 European elections, where they gained nine seats for a total of 188 in the European Parliament.

Since becoming its leader in 2014, Weber has progressively shifted the party further to the right, and the EVP currently holds about a quarter of the seats in the European Parliament.

Weber aims to leverage the EVP's strength in the European Parliament to advance the project of European integration and combat populism.