Seibert, von der Leyen’s chief of staff, on leave to lead her electoral campaign

Brussels – The election campaign of Ursula von der Leyen is entering into full swing. The current president of the European Commission, seeking a second term, has established her team for the election campaign. Her current chief of staff, Björn Seibert, will be in charge. To direct the pre-election operations, Seibert will take a temporary leave from his post on the Commission, and until the end of the campaign, he will receive no salary.

Temporary unpaid leave, for von der Leyen’s chief of staff, starting tomorrow (April 6) and ending June 10, after the European elections. Anthony Whelan, digital adviser in the president’s cabinet, will assume the duties of acting chief of staff during Björn Seibert’s leave.

Alexander Winterstein whom von der Leyen has just appointed director for ‘Communication and Policy Services’ in the Commission’s Directorate-General for Communication (DG COMM), will become Head of Communication and Media Relations.

Von der Leyen’s election team will begin work on April 8, but in the meantime key figures are beginning to think about how to run the re-election campaign of the German politician. A task made all the more difficult by the latest vicissitudes and ‘cases’ affecting the EPP nominee, from investigation into contracts for anti-Covid vaccines to ‘Piepergate‘.