Your confidence in a Europe that will take the big challenges of our times together.”. Ursula von der Leyen baking cookies with her seven children in 2003. Aside from the divided European Parliament and her narrow margin of victory, von der Leyen will also be trailed to Brussels by an investigation, still underway in the German parliament, over allegations of mismanagement and misspending at the defense ministry during her tenure. 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. Go. Under her watch, Germany introduced a law guaranteeing every child over 12 months of age a place at a daycare facility, and a paid parental leave scheme that includes at least two months of paid leave for fathers. News. Unlike Germany’s consensus-seeking chancellor, however, she is not afraid to raise hackles and divide opinion to drive through the policies she believes are right. 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. New European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasised the importance of a stronger Europe as she was sworn into office on Sunday. 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. 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 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. A liberal in conservative clothing or a pious authoritarian matriarch? Ms Von der Leyen attended a meeting in Portugal where a person tested positive; The meeting was on Tuesday and António Lobo Xavier tested positive yesterday; She took part in a summit of EU … 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. We have come out of our elections with the strength of citizens who want more Europe.”. Turkish President Erdogan HUMILIATES EU chief Ursula von der Leyen ****News Topic 360***** EU-Turkey Relations: Erdogan Left Europe Commission President Speechless After Humiliating Snub. News. 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. “For me, London was the epitome of modernity: freedom, the joy of life, trying everything. 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. 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. And maybe we also took for granted that the doses ordered would actually arrive on time”, she said. Posted on 2020-10-05. Johnson And Johnson Vaccine Could Be Approved Today. 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. 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. A parliamentary committee is investigating the ministry for accusations of nepotism, and Von der Leyen is expected to be invited as a witness in December. This gave me an inner freedom that I have kept until today. 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. 6; 7; 8; First Prev 8 of 8 Go to page. In an interview for Portuguese media, Von der Leyen was asked regarding the proposal of […] 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. May 7, 2018 5,284 7,998. News. Covid-19; Covid-19 Infected … 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. 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. News. Clarke-Connolly said: She is Useless Though. “These were definitely the most intense two weeks of my political life” — Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, “I feel so honored and I am overwhelmed and I thank you for the trust you placed in me,” von der Leyen told the MEPs moments later. Ursula Von der Leyen New EU Commission President - who voted for her ? Von der Leyen had attended the summit of EU heads of state and government on Thursday and Friday. 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. She forced Merkel to drop her opposition to boardroom quotas for women, even though the policy was later defeated in the Bundestag. 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. EU top jobs explained: who is coming in and what is their role? Views differ widely, however, … Connect with us . If you do not have a login you can register here. Go. We were too optimistic about mass production. Campaigning, lobbying and political influence in the U.K. What’s driving the day in Paris, en français, The weekly digest of the best stories in U.K. politics. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers on the continent. 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. Latest news, analysis and comment on defense in Europe and beyond. Log in to access content and manage your profile. Officials Announce 631 New Coronavirus Cases And 47 Further Deaths. Your confidence in a united and a strong Europe from east to west, from south to north. In Brussels and Berlin, she will have two stages to manage. Download now. 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. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers in Europe. “I lived much more than I studied,” she told the weekly Zeit. EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is self-isolating after coming into contact with a person infected with Covid-19. Ursula von der Leyen was left without a seat at a summit in Ankara on Tuesday after her two male counterparts took the only available chairs, leaving her to perch on a nearby sofa. Contact us . “We were late in granting authorisation. As state premier of Lower Saxony, her father, Ernst Albrecht, became a leading figure of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and a bete noire for the burgeoning Green movement, with whom he clashed over the opening of a nuclear waste depository. An earlier version said Ursula von der Leyen is not afraid to raise heckles, rather than hackles. She also reiterated some of her policy goals, including in combating climate change. 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. The Prime Minister today held a positive meeting in Downing Street with Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission. 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. 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, … And another thing I have kept: the realisation that different cultures can get on together very well.”. The Spanish and Portuguese delegations, pressed by Prime Ministers Pedro Sánchez and António Costa, said they would vote in favor. 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. Email. English. Subscribe to our newsletter . Only this: in 1978 I immersed myself for one year in this seething, international, colourful city. 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.. Von Der Leyen Elected As First Female EU Commission President. 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. News. However, the S&D group was sharply divided over whether to back von der Leyen, with the French,  German, Austrian, Belgian, Dutch, and Greek delegations all saying in an internal group meeting that they would vote against her, according to a party official. Ursula von der Leyen: EU commission president cleared in ‘contract scandal’ The German politician has admitted ‘mistakes’ were made by her officials She then applauded briefly herself. Today at 4:47 PM #85 jpc. But if her father’s career enabled her international upbringing, it also allowed Von der Leyen to step out from his shadow. 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.”. 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. Ursula von der Leyen’s political persuasions, like those of her mentor Angela Merkel, are difficult to classify. The German conservative got the thumbs up from socialist and liberal lawmakers which, together with the endorsement by her fellow conservatives, gives her a stronger mandate to … Sassoli, for his part, said: “There’s a lot of hope here. Thread starter blue velvet; Start date Jul 2, 2019; Prev . There were 327 votes in opposition, 22 abstentions and one vote declared invalid. EU-Turkey Relations: Erdogan Left Europe Commission President Speechless After Humiliating Snub. 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. Switching to study medicine, she later worked as an assistant physician at a women’s clinic in Hanover and graduated as a doctor of medicine in 1991. EU Commission Opens Investigation Into Insurance Ireland. President von der Leyen was appointed by national leaders and elected by the European Parliament after she presented her Political Guidelines. 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. Who we are; Our values; Annual report; Where we work; Organisation; What we do ; Being the … Latest news, analysis and comment on migration in Europe and beyond. News. Born in October 1958, Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen spent her first 13 years in Brussels, where her father was one of the first pan-European civil servants. EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen | Frederick Florin/AFP via Getty Images, Campaigning, lobbying and political influence in the EU. Your confidence in a Europe that is ready to fight for the future rather than fighting against each other. 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. 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. 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-depth reporting, data and actionable intelligence for policy professionals – all in one place. One of seven children, she was raised in a Christian household that adhered to the traditional model of the West German nuclear family. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen Admits EU was “Too Optimistic” about Vaccine Production. Von der Leyen was tested on Thursday with negative results, but had herself tested again on Monday. She will be the first German to lead the EU in more than a half-century, since Walter Hallstein served from 1958 to 1967. The European parliament has narrowly approved Ursula von der Leyen as the next president of the European Commission, replacing Jean-Claude Juncker at the helm of the EU ’s executive. Ursula von der Leyen, the incoming president of the European commission, likes to remind audiences she was “born in Brussels as a European”. By logging in, you confirm acceptance of our POLITICO Privacy Policy. We were too optimistic on … EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen self-isolating. It's only a bit … “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. PI Member. 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' 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. Center-right nominee becomes first woman to lead EU. 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. “The trust you placed in me is confidence you placed in Europe. News. EUROPEAN Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has told MEPs in an address at the European Parliament this morning (February 10) that they were “not where it wanted to be” with regards to vaccine production.-- ADVERTISEMENT --“We were late with the approval. Share × × × × BECOME A MEMBER OF IRU | Find out more . 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. This article was amended on 17 July 2019. “These were definitely the most intense two weeks of my political life.”. 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. “You especially saw that in her bitter and protracted battle to modernise her party’s view on the role of the family.”. 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. Most … EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made a startling speech last week in relation to widespread criticism of how Europe has so far handled the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out. Latest news, analysis and comment on security in Europe and beyond. The day after Turkey’s President Erdogan arrested ten admirals on fears of new coup rumblings … Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers on German politics. Follow POLITICO’s live blog for the latest news, reaction and analysis after von der Leyen’s election. Letter to EU Commission President von der Leyen. Instead of attending CDU summer fetes in rural Lower Saxony, said her biographer Goffart, she preferred to spend weekends at the family home in Beinhorn near Hanover when her children were still young. 1 … Go to page. The tight margin of von der Leyen’s victory suggested that she may have needed the help of some other parties, including Italy’s populist 5Star Movement, which is not affiliated with any group in the Parliament. “You see me still overwhelmed,” she said told reporters. “If she has a weakness, it is her tendency to excessive stage management,” said Goffart. 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. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers on French politics. For me, coming from the rather monotonous, white Germany, that was fascinating. Von der Leyen will also be trailed to Brussels by an investigation, still underway in the German parliament. An A+ for self advancement as well. “No details, please. 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. News. She smiled, raised an eyebrow and put her hand back on her chest and held it there, as applause erupted in the hemicycle. Click to expand... And a fine record of same! European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen says she has placed herself in isolation after being in contact with a person infected with coronavirus. You might like. 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 on elections in Europe and beyond. 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. Germany's Ursula von der Leyen has been narrowly elected president of the EU Commission following a secret ballot among MEPs. Published on: 20/01/2021 - 16:49 Author: IRU Type of document: IRU Documents Category: Coronavirus Region: Europe. “She has an incredible amount of energy”, said Daniel Goffart, a political correspondent for the news magazine Focus who co-wrote her biography in 2015.