Press reviews
Ursula von der Leyen – “the right woman for uncertain times, the wrong one to improve the EU mood”
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen would like to extend her term at the head of the international community
© Markus Schreiber / AP / Picture Alliance
At first she kept a low profile, but now it is clear: Ursula von der Leyen wants to continue to lead the EU. German and international media write: It’s not that bad.
Now it’s official: Ursula von der Leyen is aiming for a second term as president EU Commission – and has the Union’s unanimous support for it. “We must continue to defend democracy and values in Europe against the division from within and without,” the CDU politician announced on Monday in Berlin at a joint appearance with CDU leader Friedrich Merz as the most important goal.
Von der Leyen said that the most important issues in the campaign for the European elections at the beginning of June were “democracy, the rule of law that we defend and the peace that we have together.” Russian President Vladimir Putin, the AfD and other extreme forces “are standing in the way of democracy in Europe. They want to destroy it, they want to destroy Europe.” People must help “to ensure that their Europe is preserved” and remains a safe place in the future. That’s why it’s so important to “go to the polls and strengthen the center.” During the election campaign, she promised that she would make a strict distinction between her roles in the EU and the CDU: A Commission President must be “absolutely color blind.”
This is what the press says about von der Leyen’s nomination:
An “ideal cast” – or does Ursula von der Leyen have to step up?
“OM Media”: “Von der Leyen is undoubtedly an ideal choice for the EPP’s top candidate: in the Corona pandemic and in the subsequent crises since the Russian attack on Ukraine, she has shown how strong the EU can be as a community. At the same time, it is in her In her term of office, she managed to reach an agreement on migration policy. Originally, the ‘Green Deal’ was her main project – she went through with it. However: von der Leyen must represent an election program that means a correction to her previous ‘green’ course. Can can that be believable?”
“Lausitzer Rundschau”: “It is almost certain that Ursula von der Leyen will remain Commission President after the European elections. But it is also clear that the CDU politician cannot continue as before. Because it has a lot to do with the von der Leyen Commission “That business and citizens are burdened with more and more regulations in their everyday lives. If Germany and Europe do not want to fall further behind economically in the coming years, von der Leyen’s second term in office must be guided by the guiding principle of deregulation.”
International press reviews
“The press”: “She is disciplined, supple and efficient in terms of power politics. The right woman for uncertain times, the wrong one to improve the EU mood. (…) If von der Leyen had to be given a certificate for her first term in office, she would be a very Good for her discipline, a good for her ability to react in crises and a sufficient for initiated reforms. Her worst grade would be for transparency. Because although the German is regularly available to answer questions from the EU Parliament and EU government representatives, she remains in the Dealing with the public is more than just reserved. (…)
This type of flexible control of European politics, in which goals are obscured, avoided and then suddenly reappear, does not take people along. In such a charade of barely comprehensible, non-transparent and contradictory decisions, they lose track and ultimately trust in the European Union.”
“NZZ”: “The EU as a geopolitical actor: What was just a slogan for years became an imperative with the attack on Ukraine. A common economic, political and military response had to be found to Russian aggression. Von der Leyen was quick and clear there too. The Attacking Ukraine, according to their message, is also an attack on the EU. The EU must therefore do everything to prevent the country’s downfall. Accepting refugees, sanctions, financial and weapons aid: that the EU would be capable of the show of strength Few would have believed it possible (and the consensus is often precarious enough). But by inviting Kiev to become an EU member, von der Leyen rushed ahead again, forcing the quietly grumbling member states to stay on course.
The EU Commission President has little formal power. Ultimately, she is just the head of an administration that depends on the political will of the member states. Thanks to her political and strategic sense, von der Leyen has repeatedly managed to dictate the themes and interpretations at the tipping points of crises. And she was right.”
“De Telegraaf”: “In the European bubble, it surprises no one that von der Leyen is aiming for another round. (…) The polls are in favor of von der Leyen at the moment. And what’s more important: most EU member states want to continue with her. That But that doesn’t mean that the Brussels Baroness can stick to the current course. More and more member states, including the Netherlands, are moving to the right in national elections. In many countries there are also serious concerns about the competitiveness of European industry.
In recent years, the EU has introduced a record number of environmental regulations, but practice shows that industry is struggling to keep up. That being said, Americans are taking a smarter approach: tax breaks instead of subsidies and, above all, fewer regulations instead of more. At the same time, China is pushing into the European market with electric cars at dumping prices.
The Commission President is expected to abandon the ultra-green agenda that she set out with former Dutch EU Commissioner Frans Timmermans. The climate goals remain, but von der Leyen should probably take a less ideologically motivated path.”