Von der Leyen offers minimum wage, jobless benefit to win EU lawmakers' backing

BRUSSELS: The nominee to head the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said in letters to lawmakers on Monday that she will propose a guaranteed minimum wage to all EU workers and an unemployment benefit scheme.

In a bid to persuade reluctant socialist and liberal parliamentarians the day before they will vote on her candidacy, von der Leyen said she will also support cutting EU's carbon emissions up to 55% by 2030. She pledged to introduce a "carbon border tax" and to extend the bloc's emissions trading scheme.

She also promised reforms in the way the EU monitors the respect of the rule of law in member states, and pledged an overhaul of migration and foreign policies.