German politician and former Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen will seek a second term as chief of the European Commission, her center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party announced on Monday.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz told a Berlin press conference von der Leyen was unanimously nominated.
Her nomination is expected to become official when the CDU’s European umbrella, the center-right European People’s party (EPP), which is meeting in Bucharest in early March.
What do we know about von der Leyen’s bid?
The 65-year-old politician told CDU colleagues on Monday she looked forward to a joint campaign ahead of elections for the European Parliament, scheduled for June.
“I am taking a very conscious and well-considered decision. I would like to run for a second term in office and I am very grateful to the CDU for nominating me as the top candidate for the EPP today,” von der Leyen said at a news conference following the party meeting in Berlin.
Von der Leyen has held the post of European Commission chief since 2019, and has steered the bloc through back-to-back crises, including the coronavirus pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
She was the first woman to run the EU’s executive body.
“In these five years, not only has my passion for Europe grown, but of course also my experience of how much this Europe can achieve for its people,” the German politician said on Monday in Berlin.
Polls suggest von der Leyen’s EPP has a strong lead making it more likely that the German politician would lead the European Commission for another five years.
rmt/wmr (AP, dpa, Reuters)
