Dear Ms. von der Leyen, On behalf of ChemSec, an environmental NGO promoting safer alternatives to hazardous chemicals, I would like to welcome you into office as the President of the European Commission. She had served as Minister of Defence of Germany from 2013 to 2019. Image: World Economic Forum / Pascal 26 Jan 2021. EU-Turkey Relations: Erdogan Left Europe Commission President Speechless After Humiliating Snub. Though a university commission confirmed that von der Leyen had failed to properly cite the sources for much of the material in her dissertation, it determined that the omissions weren’t intentional and didn’t undermine her central thesis. Statement following the phone call with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Campaigning, lobbying and political influence in the U.K. What’s driving the day in Paris, en français, The weekly digest of the best stories in U.K. politics. No Broadcasts. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers on French politics. She is the President of the European Commission. |  Ursula von der Leyen was born on October 8, 1958 in Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium as Ursula Albrecht. As with her compatriot, mentor and supporter, the German chancellor, … BERLIN — A polyglot Brussels native who reared seven children and earned a medical degree on the side before storming to the top of German politics. Share on Facebook; Share on Twitter; Share via Email; Topics. In-depth reporting, data and actionable intelligence for policy professionals – all in one place. Officeholders similar to or like Ursula von der Leyen. If all goes according to plan, the chancellor would fill the post with her hand-picked successor, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who succeeded Merkel as CDU leader in December. Has a doctor's degree in medicine. Will Ursula von der Leyen sink or swim in Brussels’ top job? Ursula von der Leyen: On the one hand, it’s extremely difficult. Represents the German Christian-Democrats (CDU). Read Later Add to Favourites Add to Collection Report. Von der Leyen blamed many of the problems facing the armed forces on her predecessors. “The Bundeswehr’s condition is catastrophic,” Rupert Scholz, who served as defense minister under Helmut Kohl, wrote last week before von der Leyen was nominated to the EU’s top post. Log in to access content and manage your profile. Latest news, analysis and comment on defense in Europe and beyond. “Von der Leyen is our weakest minister. In July 2019 she became the first woman to be elected president of the European Commission. Many interactions with rank-and-file troops were in the form of photo-ops, which often showed the minister in dramatic poses alongside military equipment. The day after Turkey’s President Erdogan arrested ten admirals on fears of new coup rumblings … Din decembrie 2013 până în iulie 2019 a îndeplinit funcția de ministru al Apărării, în guvernele III și IV Angela Merkel ().. În data de 2 iulie 2019 a fost nominalizată de Consiliul European pentru funcția de președinte al Comisiei Europene. … Two chairs, three leaders: the European Commission hit out after its chief Ursula von der Leyen was left without a chair as Turkey’s president sat down for talks with her male counterpart. 0 Following. Support The Duran on Patreon! How is she doing in her work to do good for Europeans? She is a member of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union … After climbing through the ranks in Lower Saxony, von der Leyen joined Merkel’s first Cabinet in 2005, heading the Ministry for Family, Seniors, Women and Youth. Mother of seven. She became labor minister in Merkel’s second Cabinet in 2009 before taking over the defense ministry in 2014, becoming the first woman to hold that office. Even though von der Leyen doesn’t have many friends in Berlin, the ones she does have matter. At first glance, the affable 60-year-old minister with a camera-ready smile looks to be a perfect fit, with the requisite experience, political pedigree and personality to handle the EU’s toughest job. The European Green Deal rests on the collective commitment of the 27 member states. German Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (2005 to 2009). Instead, they point to the state of the German military. Other Works Though von der Leyen has acknowledged making mistakes along the way, she has ignored repeated demands from the opposition benches for her resignation. Ursula von der Leyen has largely stayed away from the limelight while driving the handling of a crisis and letting subordinates take the blame. But current and former aides describe her management style as distant and defensive. Has British ancestry through her American great-grandmother's family, who can be traced to the English county of Northamptonshire. 97,405. Merkel has returned the loyalty by leaving von der Leyen in place despite mounting problems at the defense ministry — and by backing her for the Commission leadership. Share. They have seven children. Now in her fifth year atop the ministry, she can no longer point fingers. Von der Leyen was once mooted as a potential successor to German Chancellor Angela Merkel | Bertrand Guay/AFP via Getty Images. That’s apparently enough to become Commission president,” former European Parliament President Martin Schulz seethed in a tweet Tuesday evening. President von der Leyen spoke with Professor Schwab. Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen (née Albrecht; born 8 October 1958) is a German politician who has been the Minister of Defence since 2013, and is the first woman in German history to hold that office. Michael Davies-Venn. And yet a nagging question remains: Is she too good to be true? She has been married to Heiko von der Leyen since September 21, 1986. The von der Leyen Commission is the current European Commission, in office since 1 December 2019 and is to last until the 2024 elections. During such tenure, Ursula started a long campaign for women’s quotas in management and supervisory boards of listed German companies; spoke out for a nationwide minimum wage and for gay marriage. In this bold talk, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, details the challenges and opportunities that come with transitioning an entire continent to clean energy -- and shows why fixing climate change calls for … Von der Leyen was luckier. Though von der Leyen was born into a political family, she was a late bloomer in pursuing her own career in politics. COVID-19: 5 picture books to help you talk to your children about death. She has been married to Heiko von der Leyen since September 21, 1986. News that this Wunderfrau — aka German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen — could become the Commission’s next president left European capitals abuzz on Tuesday. info); née Albrecht, 8 October 1958) is a German politician. Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn. 0 Broadcasts. In September 2015 she was publicly accused of plagiarism. Theoretically, Mrs von der Leyen would get a transitional allowance of just under €219,500 (£198,000) a year. Federal German Minister of Defence (2013-2019). Latest news, analysis and comment on security in Europe and beyond. Project Syndicate March 22, 2021 A GLOBAL GREEN DEAL by Ursula von der Leyen & Werner Hoyer QUOTE We need to embrace the idea of a “circular economy.” As matters stand, we are taking more out of our planet than it can afford to give us, and the effects of this overreach will become increasingly dramatic and destructive with each passing year. She served … Open letter to Ursula von der Leyen. March 12, 1998) and Gracia Diotima (b. October 25, 1999). Born in October 1958, Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen spent her first 13 years in Brussels, where her father was one of the first pan-European civil servants. March 20, 1994), Egmont Ulrich (b. Von der Leyen was tested on Thursday with negative results, but had herself tested again on Monday. Federal German Minister of Labor and Social Affairs (2009-2013). She is a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). It was only after she had finished her medical studies and lived for several years in the U.S. with her family that she set her sights on a political career in Germany. By proposing Ursula von der Leyen as the successor to Jean-Claude Juncker, the leaders of EU member states have ignored the stated desire of many members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to let one of their “Spitzenkandidaten“ lead the new European Commission. Who needs a Spitzenkandidat when you can have a Homecoming Queen? Von der Leyen is also under fire for agreeing to refurbish the German navy’s three-masted training ship, the Gorch Fock. He became premier of Lower Saxony in 1976, a position he held until 1990 (he lost reelection that year to Gerhard Schröder, who would go on to become German chancellor). She served in the federal government of Germany from 2005 to 2019 as the longest-serving member of Angela Merkel's cabinet. As a woman in a male-dominated universe, von der Leyen was never going to have an easy task. Ursula von der Leyen has been nominated for the European Commission presidency | Christoph Soeder/dpa, Campaigning, lobbying and political influence in the EU. Even many mainstream MEPs may be tempted to vote against von der Leyen in the secret ballot to be held in the week of July 15. The fate of the renewable-energy directive shows the scale of that challenge. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers on German politics. By logging in, you confirm acceptance of our POLITICO Privacy Policy. Ursula Von der Leyen snubbed in chair gaffe at EU-Erdoğan talks; Wed 7 Apr 2021 07.21 EDT. Explore the live extension of our journalism, The wonk's survival guide to the EU Green Deal, April 19 — Rewriting the Transatlantic Tech Playbook, April 20 — The coming shakeup of the EU Emissions Trading System, May 18 — POLITICO Virtual Interview: In Conversation With Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, Von der Leyen’s nomination gets mixed reviews from MEPs, POLITICO Pro workshop – The German elections, Turkey detains retired admirals for open letter criticizing canal project, Lockdown turns Brussels’ EU district into a real ghost town, French astronaut warns against free-for-all military space race, Syrian refugee withdraws from German parliament race over racist threats. Get the App. Hence, her initial CV portrays her as a Wonderwoman with unlimited capabilities. În data de … Wikipedia. Ursula von der Leyen has seven children Credit: AFP Ursula has seven children, who were born between 1987 and 1999. Most Popular. “Finally some good news” was the general tenor. Ursula von der Leyen was born in Brussels in 1958, and attended the European School - a multilingual elite school for the children of diplomats and EU bureaucrats. Before Angela … For more than a decade, the two met for breakfast once a week, a tradition that only ended when Schäuble became Bundestag president. If you do not have a login you can register here. | Michele Tantussi/Getty Images. Ursula von der Leyen is similar to these officeholders: Angela Merkel, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and more. Angela Merkel. German politician serving as chancellor of Germany since 2005. Help us grow. We must urgently reduce the … BERLIN — A polyglot Brussels native who reared seven children and earned a medical degree on the side before storming to the top of German politics. German politician and the President of the European Commission since 1 December 2019. Take action on UpLink. They have seven children. Several years earlier, similar accusations had forced one of her predecessors as defense minister, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, to resign. Another is that her departure would open up a key slot in Merkel’s Cabinet. Ms Leyen entered German politics with a background serving the woke agenda. Covid-19; Covid-19 Infected … Topic. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers in Europe. The overhaul of the ship, christened in 1958, has ended up costing more than 10 times what was originally projected. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is trying to get out of the firing line as anger grows over the EU’s botched vaccine rollout. Mini Bio (1) Ursula von der Leyen was born on October 8, 1958 in Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium as Ursula Albrecht. In 2015, well before the procurement scandal erupted, von der Leyen faced plagiarism accusations in connection with the thesis she wrote when she studied medicine. Once one of Germany’s most popular politicians, she fell out of the top 10 last year. |  Her biggest failure at the ministry may have been in not winning over the officer corps and troops. In the German capital, the answer is clear. Such episodes opened up von der Leyen to criticism that she was more interested in her own image than backing the troops. Brussels-born. Von der Leyen’s departure would offer Kramp-Karrenbauer a perfect opportunity to prove herself in a big job. Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen, născută Albrecht, (n. 8 octombrie 1958, Ixelles, Regiunea Capitalei Bruxelles, Belgia) este o politiciană creștin-democrată germană. If so, she had plenty of reason for concern. Von der Leyen had attended the summit of EU heads of state and government on Thursday and Friday. The first time the public heard about the scandal was in the fall of 2018, when internal reports by Germany’s Federal Audit Office were leaked to the media. Von der Leyen’s rapid rise fueled speculation that she could one day step into Merkel’s shoes. Among friends and foes alike, von der Leyen’s stewardship of the defense ministry, which she has headed since 2014, is regarded as a failure. Ursula von der Leyen. The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are … What the rest of Europe gets out of the bargain is another question. Von der Leyen has been blamed, in some quarters, for letting the Bundeswehr fall into a state of disrepair | Sean Gallup/Getty Images, “There is neither enough personnel nor material, and often one confronts shortage upon shortage,” Hans-Peter Bartels, a Social Democrat MP charged with monitoring the Bundeswehr for parliament, concluded in a report published at the end of January. I would also like to share with you our expectations for the upcoming five-year term regarding the European Union’s work to protect its citizens and the … View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers on the continent. Von der Leyen has never worked for the EU, but she is no stranger to Brussels, where she spent most of her childhood. “The troops are far from being fully equipped.”. European by heart. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has gone into quarantine following contact last Tuesday with a person who later tested positive, according to the Commission. The vaccine debacle unfolding across the continent won’t have come as any surprise to those who have followed von der Leyen's career. President-elect of the European Commission. The watchdog, which monitors German government cashflows, described dozens of irregularities in the hiring of external consultants by von der Leyen's defense ministry. Yet her failure to put the German military back on track dashed whatever hopes she may have had of becoming chancellor. She was a Brussel native who reared seven children while earning a medical degree on the side. The woman nominated for Commission chief has plenty of critics back home. The Bundestag, the German parliament, is currently holding hearings into the affair, including accusations that von der Leyen’s office circumvented public procurement rules in granting contracts worth millions of euros to the firms. Ursula von der Leyen @Ursulavonderleyen. Official Sites. Ended 3 months ago. Daughter of the former minister president of Lower Saxony. Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen is a German politician and physician who has been President of the European Commission since 1 December 2019. It’s not the first time in her career that she has sought to evade responsibility. In 2013, Annette Schavan, another Merkel confidante who served as education minister, was also forced to step down after evidence emerged that she had plagiarized passages in her thesis. Ursula von der Leyen, née Ursula Albrecht, (born October 8, 1958, Brussels, Belgium), Belgian-born German politician who was the first woman to serve as Germany ’s minister of defense (2013–19). March 28, 1992), Victoria Ursula (b. Though Schulz is a Social Democrat, his analysis of the minister’s record is shared by many of von der Leyen’s fellow Christian Democrats, though most are reluctant to criticize her publicly. Latest news, analysis and comment on elections in Europe and beyond. Ursula von der Leyen President, European Commission. Publicity Listings UpLink - Take Action for the SDGs. Ursula von der Leyen's message to Davos Agenda: Full transcript. She surrounded herself at the ministry with a small group of aides who kept tight control on the flow of information. Mother of David Echter (b. August 21, 1987), Sophie Charlotte (December 2, 1989), Maria Donata (b. Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen (German pronunciation: [ˈʊʁzula fɔn deːɐ̯ ˈlaɪən] (); née Albrecht; born 8 October 1958) is a German politician and the President of the European Commission since 1 December 2019. She offended many service members by saying publicly in 2017, after the discovery of a right-wing extremist in the ranks, that the Bundeswehr suffered from “weak leadership at various levels.”. Let us examine the top cat of them all, the Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Latest news, analysis and comment on migration in Europe and beyond. Ursula von der Leyen has taken a barbed swipe at Boris Johnson over his 'space race' approach to vaccines as she faces a huge backlash over the EU shambles.. Ursula von der Leyen’s mission ‘to the moon’ by Michael Davies-Venn on 16th February 2021. Though von der Leyen is an engaging speaker and a favorite on Germany’s talkshow circuit, the perpetual whiff of scandal surrounding her and her ministry has eroded her ratings among voters. Her most important ally, however, is Angela Merkel, whom von der Leyen has stuck by through thick and thin. Get the App. Von der Leyen blamed many of the problems facing the armed forces on her predecessors. 306 Followers. Hungarian MEP Katalin Cseh demanded Ursula von der Leyen give answers to crucial questions regarding the EU's continuous failings in the coronavirus pandemic. Ernst Albrecht, her father, worked for the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community, precursors to the EU, before moving back to Germany where he pursued a career in regional politics. Ursula von der Leyen then served as Minister of Labour and Social Affairs from November 30, 2009 to December 17, 2013. March 20, 1994), Johanna Gertrud (b. Divisions over the EU’s vaccination crisis have been laid bare after Ursula von der Leyen refused to sign up to a call by more than 20 world leaders for a new global pandemics plan. “The Bundeswehr’s condition is catastrophic” — Rupert Scholz, former German defense minister. Ursula von der Leyen @Ursulavonderleyen. In addition to problems surrounding the German military’s readiness, von der Leyen’s ministry also faces an investigation into suspected wrongdoing surrounding its use of outside consultants, including Accenture and McKinsey. Its president is Ursula von der Leyen, who presides over a commission composed of one commissioner from each of the states composing the European Union, except Germany, which is von der Leyen's member state. That’s just one reason her party would be more than happy to see her go to Brussels. Fixing the German army, which had been starved of resources for years after the end of the Cold War, was a herculean task. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said the EU should significantly toughen its emissions-cutting target to at least 55 % by 2030. iOS Android. News that this Wunderfrau — aka German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen — could become the Commission’s next president left European capitals abuzz on Tuesday. She advocated for lowering barriers to immigration for some foreign … With the ambitious goal of becoming the first carbon-neutral continent by 2050, the European Union has committed to creating a greener world for future generations. “The entire defense capability of the Federal Republic is suffering, which is totally irresponsible.”. Those consultants played a more significant role than the ministry had publicly claimed, several media reports said: … The minister is close to Wolfgang Schäuble, the influential president of the German parliament. Turkish President Erdogan HUMILIATES EU chief Ursula von der Leyen ****News Topic 360***** EU-Turkey Relations: Erdogan Left Europe Commission President Speechless After Humiliating Snub. Von der Leyen hails from the closest thing the European Union has to an aristocracy. Those hearings have taken a dramatic turn in recent days as testimony from key witnesses appeared to confirm suspicions of systematic corruption at the ministry.