German Ursula von der Leyen will run for a second term as head of the European Commission

The former German minister made his decision official in front of his political family gathered in Berlin on Monday.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced her candidacy for a second term on Monday 19 February. A member of the CDU, the German conservative party long led by Angela Merkel, she Spoken in the afternoon In front of his political family gathered in Berlin. The European elections on June 6 to 9 will lead to the renewal of the heads of the main institutions of the European Union, including the European Commission, reflecting the political balance resulting from the vote.

While she was elected by a narrow margin in 2019, imposed as a surprise candidate by heads of state and government, Ursula von der Leyen, aged 65, is going with a head start on the campaign this time around. The European People’s Party, which includes the CDU, has the most heads of state and government in the EU and is expected to come out on top in the election, according to polls. But if the former minister is well placed in the race, the path still promises to be tenuous, at a time when the far right is flaunting its ambitions.

During the five years she chaired the European Executive, the unity of the Twenty-Seven was tested: Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the standoff between the United States and China.