Ursula von der Leyen

Ursula von der Leyen is a German politician who has served as president of the European Commission since 2019 and held several senior German government posts.

European Commission: The European Union’s executive institution, responsible for proposing legislation and implementing EU policies. She has led the Commission since 2019 and began a second term in 2024.
European Green Deal: A European Union policy programme aiming to make the economy climate-neutral by 2050. Von der Leyen made it a flagship priority of her first Commission.
President of the European Commission: The office that leads the European Commission and sets its political direction. This is von der Leyen’s current office and the source of her executive authority.
Spitzenkandidat process: A political practice in which European party groups nominate lead candidates for Commission president before EU elections. Von der Leyen’s 2019 selection bypassed the lead-candidate expectation, prompting debate over democratic legitimacy.
Angela Merkel: German politician who served as chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021. Von der Leyen served in Merkel’s cabinets, including as defence minister.
European Climate Law: An EU regulation that makes climate neutrality by 2050 and an intermediate emissions target legally binding. It translated the Green Deal’s central climate goal into EU law during her first term.
European Parliament: The directly elected legislative institution of the European Union. Parliament elects the Commission president and approves the Commission as a whole.
European Border and Coast Guard Agency: The EU agency that supports member states in managing external borders and coordinating border operations. Her tenure as German defence minister included political controversy over the agency’s advisory contracts.
European People's Party: A European political party federation bringing together Christian democratic and conservative parties. Her European Commission presidencies have been backed by this political group.
NextGenerationEU: A temporary EU recovery instrument that finances investment and reforms after the COVID-19 crisis. Her Commission proposed the fund, linking recovery spending to green and digital priorities.

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