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STRASBOURG (Reuters) - The European Parliament on Tuesday confirmed Ursula von der Leyen, a German conservative, as the next president of the executive EU Commission by 383 votes to 327 against, the speaker of the assembly, David Sassoli, said.

Von der Leyen, a close ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, needed a minimum 374 votes to be confirmed. There were 22 abstentions and one blank vote, he added.