German Ursula von der Leyen will run for a second term as head of the European Commission

The former German minister made her decision official on Monday in front of her political family gathered in Berlin.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced her candidacy for a second term on Monday February 19. Member of the CDU, the German conservative party long led by Angela Merkel, she spoke at midday in front of his political family gathered in Berlin. The European elections, scheduled for June 6 to 9, will lead to a renewal of the heads of the main institutions of the European Union, including that of the European Commission, which must reflect the political balance resulting from the ballot.

While she was elected by a narrow margin in 2019, imposed as a surprise candidate by the heads of state and government, Ursula von der Leyen, aged 65, is this time going into the campaign with a head start . The European People’s Party, which includes the CDU, has the most heads of state and government in the EU and is expected to come out on top in the elections, according to polls. But if the former minister is well placed in the race, the path still promises to be delicate, at a time when the far right is displaying its ambitions.

During the five years that she chaired the European executive, the unity of the Twenty-Seven was put to the test: Brexit, Covid-19 pandemic, Russian offensive in Ukraine, standoff between the United States and China.