Brussels – Ursula von der Leyen back at the helm of the European Commission? There is more than one rumour in Brussels indicating that the current president of the European executive is expected to announce on Monday (Feb. 19) that she is willing to become the spitzenkandidat (i.e., the leading candidate for the June European elections) of the European People’s Party (EPP).
Time is running out. February 21 is the deadline for submitting an internal candidacy for the EPP. But von der Leyen is reportedly planning to jump ahead and remove any doubts on Monday at a meeting of the CDU (Christian Democratic Union) party, of which she is a member, to be held in Germany, just two days before the official deadline to join the race.
Even if she were to announce that she would run for office, it would only be an announcement—albeit one of considerable weight. A first step for the German leader to gather enough support to be formally elected during the EPP Congress to be held in Bucharest on March 6-7, when the European Christian Democratic family will also adopt the manifesto and name the leading candidate for the European elections.
After the choice of the European Socialist Party (ESP)—that indicated the current European Commissioner for Labor and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit—and the one of the Greens, the time will come for the EPP, which is expected to be reconfirmed as the largest group within the parliament. According to many, it is almost a foregone conclusion that the German leader will seek confirmation at the head of the Commission, inevitably becoming the leading candidate of the EPP, despite frictions in recent months with her political family over some hot Green Deal dossiers. It was precisely the EPP’s criticism of its Green Pact for Europe that prompted von der Leyen to rethink its pillars by launching a “Green Deal 2.0” phase more attentive to the business and agricultural fabric, the one, in essence, most unhappy with this fast-paced transition. And it is precisely this change of pace that can be interpreted as a willingness to mend a rift with her group ahead of the next ballot call.
So far, however, no confirmation or denial has come. On the contrary, she has been far too discreet in not leaking this intention in recent months. She remains cautious as she waits for an internal debate to take place democratically within the EPP, hoping to emerge as the only leader invested in the group.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
