Ursula von der Leyen Intends to Run for Re-election as Head of the European Commission

The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, confirmed her intention to run as a candidate for the position of EC President. Mrs. von der Leyen has held the post since 2019, the mandate ends at the end of 2024. According to Politico, Ursula von der Leyen announced her decision during a press conference of the German party “Christian Democratic Union of Germany” (CDU). Bloomberg writes that her nomination took place amid the risk of a change of leadership in the European Union and a possible series of extreme right-wing ideas. The agency writes that Ursula von der Leyen has a good chance of winning the elections in June due to the support of the CDU, in which she is a member. At the same time, she will also have to be approved by all EU leaders, which could be a problem for her, Bloomberg notes. The official nomination as a candidate to head the European Commission is due to take place at the European Congress on 6-7 March in Romania. Politico notes that once officially nominated, Ursula von der Leyen will have to distinguish between her statements as president and as a candidate. Earlier Politico wrote that the candidacy of the current EC head was supported by the leaders of the European People’s Party back in October 2023. At the same time, the outlet noted that threatening the re-election of Ursula von der Leyen may be dissatisfaction of European officials at all levels of the executive branch. One of Politico’s sources claimed that Mrs. von der Leyen often acts without consulting EU member states.