Ursula von der Leyen wants to continue leading the European Commission. This was communicated this Monday to the steering committee of her party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) of Germany, which will unanimously propose her as head of the list of the European People's Party (EPP), a formation that must elect its final candidate. at a conference in Bucharest on March 7.
“The most important thing is democracy, the rule of law that we defend and the peace that we have built together,” said the German Christian Democrat ahead of the European elections next June. “Our opponents, Putin and his friends, whether they are from the AfD [Alternativa para Alemania], Marine Le Pen or Geert Wilders or any other extreme force, see democracy in Europe as an obstacle that they want to destroy. They want to destroy Europe. And that is why it is so important that people help maintain Europe. That is why it is so important to vote and strengthen the center,” he added.
Von der Leyen is the best placed to obtain the majority of EPP votes in Bucharest. The names that have been heard for now – the Luxembourg commissioner Nicolas Schmit (of the Socialists and Democrats) or Bas Eickhout (of the Greens of the Netherlands) – do not have great political weight. In addition to the CDU and the CSU (the Bavarian Christian Social Party), the EPP includes formations such as the Popular Party (PP) of Spain, Forza Italia, The Republicans in France or the ÖVP of Austria.
Von der Leyen's term ends on October 31. But after the European elections in June, the EU will have to elect the new leader of the Commission. To be re-elected, she needs the support of EU governments. Twelve of them are led by Christian Democrats, Von der Leyen's political camp.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has expressed his support for the German politician's candidacy in a message on the social network X (formerly Twitter), and has assured that he also has the endorsement of his Polish counterpart, Donald Tusk. “It is firmly committed to promoting our common values and protecting the unity and solidarity of Europe. “You have our trust,” said Mitsotakis.
My friend @donaldtusk and I have the honor to nominate @vonderleyen as the @EPP's lead candidate for the Presidency of the European Commission. She is staunchly devoted to the promotion of our common values and the protection of Europe's unity and solidarity.
She has our trust.— Kyriakos Mitsotakis (@kmitsotakis) February 19, 2024
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“Europe is a home for me, just like Lower Saxony [el Estado alemán del que procede]. And when the question arose whether I could imagine becoming president of the European Commission, I said yes immediately. Today, five years later, I make a very conscious and well-thought-out decision,” Von der Leyen declared after the meeting in Berlin. “I would like to run for a second term,” she added.
Leader in polls
Typically, the main candidate of the political group that has obtained the best result in the elections to the European Parliament is appointed President of the Commission. So far, the EPP is clearly leading the polls, so there is a good chance that Von der Leyen could continue in office.
The former German Defense Minister became the first woman to head the European Commission in 2019. “Today's world is completely different. We've been through a lot together in the last five years. “We have achieved more than we could have imagined,” she explained about a few years that she called “challenging and extraordinary.”
“In these five years, not only has my passion for Europe grown, but also my experience of how much this Europe can do for its people,” he said before listing the challenges he had to face, such as the global coronavirus pandemic. covid —from which Europe emerged “strengthened as a community,” he assured— or the war in Ukraine —in which “Europe acted immediately.”
His role at the head of the European Commission was praised by CDU President Friedrich Merz, who recalled his “reputation not only within the EU, but also beyond Europe.” “We are very pleased with your readiness for a new mandate.” […]. We took the first step this morning by unanimously proposing her for nomination on March 6 and 7 in Bucharest,” she added.
Von der Leyen defended herself against criticism for making the status of candidate compatible with that of president of the Commission, recalling that there is a “clear separation” between the two positions. “This means that it must be very clear in every public appearance in which role I am acting and what resources have been used,” she added. It is not the first time that a president of the Commission is running for a second term. The Portuguese José Manuel Durão Barroso headed the community body twice and the Frenchman Jacques Delors three times.
During the media appearance at the CDU headquarters in Berlin, he promised to reduce the bureaucracy that suffocates many companies. To do this, he called for “advancing digitalization” and working towards the competitiveness of European industry and climate objectives.
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