Melanie Amann, Dietmar Hipp and Peter Mller (11 June 2013), Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, Minister of Social Affairs, Women and Families and Health, International Criminal Tribunal for the Russian Federation, Federal Minister of Family Affairs and Youth, Field Marshal Rommel Barracks, Augustdorf, European UnionMercosur free trade agreement, on street protests in Minsk and elsewhere, Turkey's incursions into Greek maritime zones, provision of French conventionally powered submarines, 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa, Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children, Federal Review Board for Media Harmful to Minors, 2016 European Union membership referendum, Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 1st class, Forbes' list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women, "Merkel Succession Beckons After Von der Leyens Defence Posting", "Yes, Ursula von der Leyen is an EU federalist, but she knows she can't afford to alienate Britain", "First woman nominated to lead EU Commission", "EU leaders pick Germany's von der Leyen to lead Commission", "MEPs back von der Leyen as EU Commission head", "Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union TITLE III: PROVISIONS ON THE INSTITUTIONS Article 17", "Statement by President von der Leyen on Russian accountability and the use of Russian frozen assets", "Ursula von der Leyen: The 100 Most Influential People of 2020", "Ursula von der Leyen: The 100 Most Influential People of 2022", "Christine Lagarde and Ursula von der Leyen: meet the EU's next leaders", "Ursula von der Leyen Biografie WHO'S WHO", "Ursula von der Leyen: Is this the next woman to become Chancellor of Germany? [103] Under her leadership, the ministry agreed to accept 13 million euros in compensation for delays in deliveries of both the second and third A400M aircraft. [131], At the press conference announcing her nomination, European Council President Donald Tusk noted von der Leyen's intention to retain Commission First-Vice President Frans Timmermans during her administration. [44] Various media outlets also criticized that the decision was nontransparent, not according to established rules, and failed to secure high academic standards. "Our goal is to present Ukraine's application to the council this summer." Details: The President of the European Commission said that Ukraine is working on a number of reforms, "ranging from the independence of the judiciary to anti corruption, from minority rights to media freedom". [226], In 2015, von der Leyen argued that a form of EU army should be a long-term goal. Stressing that it was necessary to remain united in Europe over Ukraine, she argued that negotiations with Russia, unlike with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant jihadists, were possible. Timmermans has previously been one of the "lead candidates" (German: Spitzenkandidat) for the commission's presidency. ", "Germany Appoints 1st Female Defense Minister", "Von der Leyen: pro-EU fixture in Merkel's Cabinets", "Who is Ursula von der Leyen, the New EU Commission President? [123] From 2018 until her nomination as European Commission president she was described as the favourite to succeed Jens Stoltenberg as Secretary General of NATO. The Polish government, led bythe hard-right Law and Justice party (PiS), says the committee is necessary to strengthen the country's "cohesion and internal security" in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. [217] In some Polish media, it was understood that she instigated opposition aimed to overthrow the allegedly anti-democratic and authoritarian PiS government; the statement was branded as scandalous. All rights reserved, Thousands of Poles march in Warsaw to denounce government policies, Polish President Andrzej Duda offers changes to law on 'Russian influence' amid growing criticism, Brussels and Washington raise concerns about Poland's new law to probe cases of 'Russian influence'. [34] From 1988 to 1992, she worked as an assistant physician at the Women's Clinic of the Hannover Medical School. In November 2022 von der Leyen announced that her Commission will work to establish an International Criminal Tribunal for the Russian Federation. That the EU signed it anyway is a testament to how desperate some European leaders have become to curb migration, analysts say. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed the bloc's steadfast commitment to the strong partnership with the UN in the face of these unprecedented challenges. Von der Leyen called the way France was treated "unacceptable" and demanded an explanation. Ursula von der Leyen was born and raised in Brussels to German parents. In a secret ballot, MEPs voted narrowly to. The president is empowered to allocate portfolios among, reshuffle, or dismiss Commissioners as necessary. The priority is given to fixing the problem in the short term, and curbing arrivals. If you would like to customise your choices, click 'Manage privacy settings'. Her father, Ernst Albrecht, was one of the first European civil servants. She said: "It annoys me when women are to be pushed into wearing the abaya. The deal is a major boost for Tunisias President Kais Saied, an increasingly authoritarian leader who has spent the past few years dismantling the countrys democracy a decade after a revolution there toppled a longtime dictator and sparked a region-wide rebellion against autocracy. The definition of "Russian influence" is also under scrutiny for being overly vague and broad. Brussels and Washington worry the special committee could be used to target politicians in the run-up to the country's general election, expected to be held this autumn, and deprive candidates of the right to a fair trial. [112] In turn, opposition lawmaker Tobias Linder has filed a criminal complaint against von der Leyen suspecting deliberate destruction of evidence relevant for the case. [180] She has stated however, that the Union should not completely move away from unanimity. As in her reelections in 2016 (72.4%) and 2018 (57.47%), this was the weakest of all results. [170][171][172][173][174] On 4 May 2022, she announced the European Union would seek to ban all imports of Russian crude oil and petroleum products. [105], During her May 2015 visit to India, von der Leyen expressed support for a project initiated by the Indian government to build six small German TKMS diesel-electric submarines for a total cost of $11 billion. A spokesperson for the European Commission told CNN the agreement signed with Tunisia focused on macro-economic stability, trade and investment, green energy transition, people-to people contacts, and migration and that the EU is addressing human rights issues in Tunisia through other channels. Pursuant to that procedure, the European Council, acting by a qualified majority, proposes to the Parliament a candidate for President of the European Commission, taking into account the result of the European Parliament elections. She later expressed regret for having cited an inaccurate study. She moved to the Hanover Region in 1971 when her father entered politics to become minister-president of the state of Lower Saxony in 1976. [67][68], In August 2016 Von der Leyen joined the World Economic Forum board of trustees. On the 60th anniversary of the founding of Israel, von der Leyen participated in the first joint cabinet meeting of the governments of Germany and Israel in Jerusalem in March 2008. The prohibitions could last up to 10 years. In May 2015, the German government approved an increase in defence spending, at the time 1.3% of GDP, by 6.2% over the following five years, allowing the Ministry of Defense to modernize the army fully. [63] In 2012, she was re-elected (with 69% of the votes) as one of Merkel's deputies as CDU chairwoman, this time serving alongside Bouffier, Julia Klckner, Armin Laschet and Thomas Strobl. Members of the European Council vote by qualified majority. [28] She returned to Germany in 1979 but lived with a security detail at her side for several years. [25] She is a keen equestrian and has been involved in competitive horseriding. [212], Von der Leyen has supported close security cooperation with Saudi Arabia. The new infringement procedure marks a new chapter in the Brussels-Warsaw confrontation over the rule of law and comes just two days after the European Court of Justice(ECJ) struck down a controversial judicial reform introduced by the Polish government in 2019. [21] They have seven children, born between 1987 and 1999. On the other side are states like Hungary and Poland which refuse to cooperate and take their share of refugees. The issue has pitted EU member states against each other. European Council - Europe Elects Parties, Parliaments and Polling Averages EU Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czechia Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kosovo Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Moldova Monaco During the investigation, two of von der Leyen's phones were confiscated, but data from both phones have been deleted before being returned to the defence ministry. [75] Following criticism from German officials of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan's escalation of the KurdishTurkish conflict in August 2015, von der Leyen decided to let Germany's three-year Patriot missile batteries mission to southern Turkey lapse in January 2016 instead of seeking parliamentary approval to extend it. [40][41] Multiple notable German academics such as Gerhard Dannemann[de] and Volker Rieble[de] publicly accused von der Leyen of intended plagiarism. elected. There are also questions about the Commissions mandate. European Union Politics Series Oxford Handbooks Collection: Oxford Handbooks Online Although the Commission president holds a key position in the EU political system, the powers of the presidency have only recently come to match the importance of the office. [169] On 8 April 2022 in the midst of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine Von der Leyen travelled to Kyiv (which had seen open hostilities only days earlier) to lend her support to the beleaguered Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his countrymen. Ursula von der Leyen has been confirmed as the European commission's first female president and the first German in the job for more than 50 years. The protests took place after a disputed presidential election, which was contested by the opposition and designated by the EU as not free and fair. The centre-right defence minister will replace Commission. Jul. She agreed with NATO SACEUR General Philip Breedlove that "it could give the Kremlin the excuse to openly intervene in this conflict. Saied rose to power in 2019 after the death of Tunisias first democratically elected president Beji Caid Essebsi. Instead, the committee will simply issue a statement declaring that a person has acted under "Russian influence" and is not fit to perform public duties. But democratic ideals were pushed aside in 2021, when the president embarked on a major power grab at the height of the Covid-19 crisis. In 2016, she asked for an additional 12.7 million euros in damages for delays in the delivery of a fourth plane. It is anti-democratic and anti-EU," said Iustitia, one of the main judges' associations in Poland. Later that month, she told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper that the CDU should consider establishing a formal voting process for choosing future candidates for Chancellor. EU affairs. [115][116][117][118], As a cabinet member, von der Leyen was, for several years, regarded as one of the leading contenders to succeed Merkel as Chancellor. [77][78][79], At the Munich Security Conference in February 2015, von der Leyen publicly defended the German refusal to supply Ukraine with weapons. This occurred one year into her tenure at Defense. The news media later reported that Wulff's nomination came as a blow to Merkel, whose choice of Leyen had been blocked by the two parties' more conservative state premiers. Von der Leyen, elected to lead the commission in 2019, couldn't have come along at a better time, Mr. Trudeau said, with the executive wing of the European Union confronting fresh instability at home and around the world. "The scale of Russian influence on the functioning of the Republic of Poland is still not fully explored," a government spokesperson told Euronews last week, insisting the committee "shall not have the power to deprive anyone of their public rights.". Parliament will hold a hearing with Iliana Ivanova as the commissioner-designate for innovation, research, culture, education and youth on 5 September 2023. [73] She later opposed the troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Lapsus jzykowy? [164], In December 2021 the former doctor expressed her concern that one-third of the European population still are not vaccinated. No member of the parliament or the senate will be allowed to sit in the body. She said that she "lived more than she studied",[32] and that London was "the epitome of modernity: freedom, the joy of life, trying everything" which "gave me an inner freedom that I have kept till today". [86], In 2015, as a result of severe NATORussian tensions in Europe, Germany announced an increase in defence spending. The candidate is put forward by national leaders in the European Council, taking account of the results of the European Parliament elections. In short, we are doing a deal with a dictator who is cruel and unreliable, Dutch Member of the European Parliament Sophie in t Veld said at a meeting of the bodys Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs on Tuesday. The Albrecht family was among the hbsche ("courtly" or "genteel") families of the Electorate and Kingdom of Hanovera state that was in a personal union with the United Kingdomand her ancestors had been doctors, jurists and civil servants since the 17th century. "[165], In April 2021, The New York Times reported that von der Leyen had exchanged electronic correspondence with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla negotiating terms of sale of the COVID-19 vaccine to the EU.