Von der Leyen Enters the Race for Second Term as Commission President

With the unequivocal backing of the Union, Ursula von der Leyen continues her aspirations for another term as President of the European Commission. She sees a steadfast commitment to democratic values as a central concern and seeks to counteract the fragmentation of Europe. At an event in Berlin, alongside CDU leader Friedrich Merz, the CDU politician emphasized her desire to consolidate the stability of the European center, a challenge she approaches with confidence. The EPP unanimously nominated von der Leyen as the lead candidate. Markus Söder, leader of the CSU, sees her as the natural candidate for the Union, a view shared by EPP leader Manfred Weber, with whom von der Leyen is expected to form an effective team. Von der Leyen identifies the protection of democracy and the rule of law as critical issues for the European elections and highlights the importance of voting to strengthen liberal-democratic forces. Referring to external and internal enemies of European democracy, she promises a strict separation of her roles in the EU and the CDU during the campaign. Moreover, she advocates for the creation of a position for a European Defence Commissioner, an idea she previously supported at the Munich Security Conference. Adapting competitiveness to new realities and achieving climate targets in an economically feasible way are other key focuses of her agenda. Friedrich Merz underscores his commitment to the European election campaign and emphasizes the need to resist anti-European populism. He clarifies that cooperations with right-wing populist or extremist parties, such as the AfD, are out of the question for the CDU. The EPP, which includes parties like the ÖVP, Forza Italia, and the PP, will decide on the lead candidate for the President of the European Commission in March. Von der Leyen is considered the favored candidate. Critical remarks come from SPD lead candidate Katarina Barley, who accuses the Union of lacking a European compass. The Greens also note that von der Leyen's non-participation in the European elections is perplexing. Von der Leyen's first term was marked by transformative events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine war. Her diverse political career and multilingual upbringing position her as an experienced and cosmopolitan leader.