Von der Leyen, from the center-right European People’s Party, served most recently as German defense minister and is a close ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel. Von der Leyen won 383 votes in a secret ballot, just slightly above the absolute majority of 374 she required to be elected — and far short of the 422 votes cast in favor of current Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in 2014. STRASBOURG — The European Parliament on Tuesday elected Ursula von der Leyen as the next president of the European Commission — the first woman to hold the EU’s top executive job. If you do not have a login you can register here. We were too optimistic about mass production. Von der Leyen will also be trailed to Brussels by an investigation, still underway in the German parliament. STRASBOURG,— Germany’s Ursula von der Leyen secured European parliamentary approval on Tuesday to become the first female European Commission president on a platform of a greener, fairer and rule-based Europe.. Ursula von der Leyen: EU commission president cleared in ‘contract scandal’ The German politician has admitted ‘mistakes’ were made by her officials Ursula von der Leyen, the incoming president of the European commission, likes to remind audiences she was “born in Brussels as a European”. Germany's Ursula von der Leyen has been narrowly elected president of the EU Commission following a secret ballot among MEPs. Go. “For me, London was the epitome of modernity: freedom, the joy of life, trying everything. Only this: in 1978 I immersed myself for one year in this seething, international, colourful city. EU Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen. The Prime Minister today held a positive meeting in Downing Street with Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission. Subscribe to our newsletter . She then applauded briefly herself. News. Two chairs, three leaders: the European Commission hit out after its chief Ursula von der Leyen was left without a chair as Turkey’s president sat down for talks with her male counterpart. “We were late in granting authorisation. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers in Europe. When she diagnosed the troops with an “attitude problem” after the emergence of stories about rightwing extremist activities and hazing of new recruits, she was accused – and not only by members of the Bundeswehr – of choosing a good write-up over loyalty to her staff. The Spanish and Portuguese delegations, pressed by Prime Ministers Pedro Sánchez and António Costa, said they would vote in favor. Ursula von der Leyen’s political persuasions, like those of her mentor Angela Merkel, are difficult to classify. You might like. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has admitted a country on its own - such as the UK - can act as a "speedboat" compared to the EU's "tanker" in the delivery of COVID vaccines. As some act to stall progress, the forward motion provided by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and all she represents is a remarkable step forward. EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen | Frederick Florin/AFP via Getty Images, Campaigning, lobbying and political influence in the EU. News. If there is one quality the European commission’s first female president shares with her mentor Angela Merkel, it is that her political persuasions can be difficult to classify. More recently, Von der Leyen grabbed negative headlines over the accusation that her defence ministry had allocated over-inflated contracts worth hundreds of millions of euros to external consultants. Von Der Leyen Elected As First Female EU Commission President. Among her critics, the 60-year-old Von der Leyen has a reputation as an Einzelgängerin, a lone wolf with an instinct for front page-grabbing interviews and photo ops, but lacking the gift to pass the inner freedom driving her career down to the teams she works with. Who we are; Our values; Annual report; Where we work; Organisation; What we do ; Being the … News. Letter to EU Commission President von der Leyen. The Greens group, as well as right-wing and left-wing parties, had previously announced their intention to vote against von der Leyen, and the result suggested they had generally followed through on that pledge. Center-right nominee becomes first woman to lead EU. Views differ widely, however, … “These were definitely the most intense two weeks of my political life.”. EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is self-isolating after coming into contact with a person infected with Covid-19. She attended the European School in Uccle, graduating two years before a certain Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson joined the same establishment. EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen self-isolating. Explore the live extension of our journalism, The wonk's survival guide to the EU Green Deal, April 19 — Rewriting the Transatlantic Tech Playbook, April 20 — The coming shakeup of the EU Emissions Trading System, May 18 — POLITICO Virtual Interview: In Conversation With Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, allegations of mismanagement and misspending, As it happened: Ursula von der Leyen to lead EU, Von der Leyen promises the Earth (and more), POLITICO Pro Briefing Call: Loi climat française et Green Deal européen, Northern Ireland ‘playing with matches’ amid Brexit trade deal tensions, Sofa, so bad: Turkish seating snafu hits von der Leyen, Michel, Cheryl Gillan, former UK cabinet minister, dies at 68, Kosovo’s parliament picks reformist Vjosa Osmani as president. We were too optimistic on … Ursula von der Leyen of Germany won confirmation as the next president of the European Commission, becoming the first woman set to assume Europe’s most powerful policy-making post. The President represents the Commission in European Council meetings, G7 and G20 summits, summits with non-EU countries and major debates in the European Parliament and the Council. Connect with us . She smiled, raised an eyebrow and put her hand back on her chest and held it there, as applause erupted in the hemicycle. When she was studying economics at the University of Göttingen in the late 1970s, her father was informed that his family could be a potential target for the Red Army Faction, a terrorist group also known as the Baader-Meinhof gang, and that his daughter should consider moving to another university. EU-Turkey Relations: Erdogan Left Europe Commission President Speechless After Humiliating Snub. PI Member. She will be the first German to lead the EU in more than a half-century, since Walter Hallstein served from 1958 to 1967. English. STRASBOURG — The European Parliament on Tuesday elected Ursula von der Leyen as the next president of the European Commission — the first woman to hold the EU’s top executive job. Published on: 20/01/2021 - 16:49 Author: IRU Type of document: IRU Documents Category: Coronavirus Region: Europe. Go. Von der Leyen adopted the pseudonym Rose Ladson – a combination of her family nickname and the surname of her American great-grandmother – and enrolled at the London School of Economics. Download now. “The trust you placed in me is confidence you placed in Europe. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is reportedly under pressure to resign her post, after a disastrous and shortlived decision to block vaccines traveling to the UK. Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen, the centre-right German defence minister, became the first woman to hold the presidency of the EU Commission following a secret vote among MEPs on July 17. For me, coming from the rather monotonous, white Germany, that was fascinating. “No details, please. EU top jobs explained: who is coming in and what is their role? The nicknames Ursula von der Leyen has acquired over the course of her 29-year career in German politics tell their own story about the new president of the European commission. Von der Leyen had the declared backing of the three mainstream, pro-EU groups — the center-right European People’s Party, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats (S&D), and the centrist-liberal Renew Europe group. Your confidence in a united and a strong Europe from east to west, from south to north. Out of 733 MEPs, 383 voted in favour of Von der Leyen, helping her to secure the 374 votes -- an absolute majority among the EU assembly members. 6; 7; 8; First Prev 8 of 8 Go to page. By logging in, you confirm acceptance of our POLITICO Privacy Policy. This gave me an inner freedom that I have kept until today. In Brussels and Berlin, she will have two stages to manage. When she became Germany’s first female defence minister in 2013, her (mostly male) detractors referred to her as Flinten-Uschi (“shotgun Uschi”), a caricature of the bossy career woman. Latest news, analysis and comment on security in Europe and beyond. In a sign of how thin and fragile her mandate appeared, she also immediately faced questions about the possibility that her majority, which included the support of some British MEPs, would effectively evaporate in the event that the U.K. completes its departure from the EU. An earlier version said Ursula von der Leyen is not afraid to raise heckles, rather than hackles. Ursula von der Leyen snub: EU chief refuses to sign name for global response to pandemics Sadiq Khan hit with veiled attack from police watchdog - 'Undermining trust in Met' Married since 1986 to a physician, Heiko, and mother to seven children, Von der Leyen has juggled a prolific career with family life – at the cost of popularity within her own party, some say. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has gone into quarantine following contact last Tuesday with a person who later tested positive, according to the Commission. The day after Turkey’s President Erdogan arrested ten admirals on fears of new coup rumblings … This article was amended on 17 July 2019. Ursula von der Leyen baking cookies with her seven children in 2003. News. Your confidence in a Europe that will take the big challenges of our times together.”. The Telegraph - The EU Commission president was denied a seat next to the Turkish president while her Council counterpart sat at his side EU leaders were left embarrassed when Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen was relegated to a sofa during a meeting with Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Tuesday, … Her mother, Heidi, took a supporting role, at times leading a family choir that serenaded its patriarch on German TV shows, and stating: “The best way for me to gain the respect of the public is through the role of motherliness.”. The President of the European Union Commission Ursula von der Leyen supports the idea of a common vaccination certificate, which can be established by the EU, and issued by the Member States to every person who gets vaccinated against COVID-19. “If she has a weakness, it is her tendency to excessive stage management,” said Goffart. After she joined the CDU in 1990, on the same day her father stepped down from his job as state premier, her inner freedom made its mark on the posts she held, first as a regional and national delegate and then at the family, work and defence ministries. News. At a news conference with Sassoli after leaving the hemicycle, von der Leyen thanked her transition team and said she planned to spend her summer in Brussels preparing for her new job. She forced Merkel to drop her opposition to boardroom quotas for women, even though the policy was later defeated in the Bundestag. During her time in charge of the family ministry, she was first called Krippen-Ursel (“crèche Ursel”), a conservative closet feminist set on expanding nursery places, and then Zensursula, a control freak who wanted to shield German youth from the dark sides of the internet. In an interview for Portuguese media, Von der Leyen was asked regarding the proposal of […] Von der Leyen, from the center-right European People’s Party, served most recently as German defense minister and is a close ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel. We have come out of our elections with the strength of citizens who want more Europe.”. EU Commission Opens Investigation Into Insurance Ireland. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen Admits EU was “Too Optimistic” about Vaccine Production. Latest news, analysis and comment on elections in Europe and beyond. New European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasised the importance of a stronger Europe as she was sworn into office on Sunday. Share × × × × BECOME A MEMBER OF IRU | Find out more . Ursula von der Leyen has been picked to replace Jean-Claude Juncker as president of the EU Commission when he steps down on November 1. Some EU officials said failing to cross the politically significant threshold of 400 votes signaled that von der Leyen would face an extremely difficult task governing in partnership with a Parliament that is more diverse and divided than at any other point in the EU’s modern history. As Parliament President David Sassoli announced the tally, von der Leyen briefly placed her hand over her heart and exhaled through pursed lips in a demonstrative display of relief. Officials Announce 631 New Coronavirus Cases And 47 Further Deaths. From ‘closet feminist’ to bossy career woman, detractors paint conflicting pictures of German politician, Last modified on Wed 17 Jul 2019 16.56 BST. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers on the continent. Clarke-Connolly said: She is Useless Though. “I want to move Europe forward in the next five years to a climate-friendly Europe, a climate-friendly Continent, a Europe that serves people,” she said. “You see me still overwhelmed,” she said told reporters. News. Today at 4:47 PM #85 jpc. Covid-19; Covid-19 Infected … If Von der Leyen’s approval ratings have recently plummeted, making her the least popular minister in Merkel’s cabinet, it is because her handling of Germany’s notoriously under-funded military at times displayed those same deficiencies. One of seven children, she was raised in a Christian household that adhered to the traditional model of the West German nuclear family.