President of the European Commission, von der Leyen should run for re-election

This Thursday (March 7, 2024), the European People’s Party (PPE) approved the candidacy of Ursula von der Leyen, current president of the European Commission, to run for re-election. The position is the highest position in the European Union hierarchy, responsible for assigning ministries, attending G8 meetings and representing the bloc internationally.

Former defense minister under Angela Merkel, Ursula von der Leyen is affiliated with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), a center-right party in Germany. The appointment took place at a PPE meeting in Budapest, Romania. The elections will take place between June 6th and 9th. With the party’s endorsement, Von der Leyen becomes the favorite for re-election.

If elected, the German will assume the position for another 5 years. Since 2019, it has faced crises such as Brexit, the Covid pandemic and signed agreements in favor of environmental policies.

At the end of the PPE meeting, the current president took a position regarding the conflict between Russia and Ukraine: “Our Europe, peaceful and united, is being challenged like never before by populists, by nationalists, by demagogues, whether from the extreme right or the extreme left”.

CRITICISM OF PUTIN

Since the announcement of the electoral dispute, von der Leyen has criticized Russian President Vladmir Putin. Among accusations of extremism and blackmail, the German defined the Russian government as a “dark regime”.

She highlighted the European Union’s investment in solar and wind energy, as a counterbalance to Russian coal and gas, which were Europe’s main energy sources before the war.

According to Ember, a research group in favor of clean energy, in 2022, wind and solar energy exceeded 22% in share of electricity generation in the EU, surpassing fossil gas (20%) and coal for the first time ( 16%).