Ursula von der Leyen will announce her readiness to run for a second term on Monday morning, Bild reports.
Ursula von der Leyen is preparing plans for a second five-year term as European Commission president, and her party is pushing for her to launch an official campaign as soon as possible. She considers her key task to be supporting Ukraine.
She is expected to arrive in Berlin today after addressing the Munich Security Conference.
“She’s going to campaign,” said one official who was granted anonymity to discuss confidential plans.
If all goes smoothly, she could be formally chosen at a convention in Bucharest on March 7 as the candidate who could be the centrepiece of the campaign for the European elections in early June.
EPP leader and CSU vice-president Manfred Weber is positive about von der Leyen’s time in office: “Over the past five years, Ursula von der Leyen has proved that she can make it happen. Indeed, we work well together because it is essential for Europe. As the current Commission President, she was a “natural born candidate” and could count on the EPP’s huge support.”
Despite the differences, he notes the following: “There were five years of crisis, but they were successful years. By distributing the coronavirus vaccine we have demonstrated that there is no first or second class Europe, together we have helped the European economy get back on its feet after the pandemic with a recovery package, and we have shown solidarity with sanctions packages against Russia and aid to Ukraine. We are world leaders in climate protection and, to some extent, in digitalisation; for example, we are the first continent with an artificial intelligence law.”
Besides positive assessments, there are also criticisms: the representative of the German Greens in the European Parliament, Rasmus Andresen (37), criticises her as follows: “In order to serve her party, she has cancelled important climate and nature protection laws in recent months.”
Nevertheless, observers agree that von der Leyen, who was born in Brussels, switches easily from one language to another and is seen as a staunch European even among her critics, has an excellent chance.
