AP
The authoritarian Russophobe Ursula von der Leyen has been approved for another five-year term as the head of the European Commission.
«I have a right to vote. […] Get out, Ursula!» shouted Romanian MP Diana Șoșoacă before the European Parliament vote on July 18 regarding the reappointment of von der Leyen as President of the European Commission for a second term. Șoșoacă was removed from the chamber in a muzzle, which she had donned herself as a protest against infringements on freedom of speech.
The German woman did not leave but made her way to the microphone. «Europe now stands at a crossroads. The choice we make will shape our work for the next five years and determine our place in the world for the next 50 years. The choice boils down to whether we will be shaped by the events and the world around us or whether we will unite and build our future», declared Ursula before the vote, outlining her program.
In the lengthy document (31 pages), she proposed making the EU a «true defense union» over the next five years: strengthening the European defense industry, creating the position of a European Commissioner for Defense, and preparing, for the first time, a plan for the future of European security.
Von der Leyen also promised to increase the number of border guards to 30,000; develop the pan-European air defense system «European Sky Shield» (a proposal by Chancellor Olaf Scholz) and cyber defense projects; appoint a European Commissioner for the Mediterranean to address economic, energy, security, and migration issues in the region; develop a new LGBT+ strategy (an international movement recognized as extremist and banned in Russia) and a new plan to combat racism; and create a subcommittee to propose Europe’s first plan for affordable housing.
On stage, Ursula, it must be assumed, did not feel very comfortable. The fact is that just the day before, on July 17, she lost a case concerning the transparency of contracts for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines. The European General Court ruled that the European Commission’s decision to redact parts of the agreements contained «violations». These contracts involved the procurement of vaccines whose trials had not yet been completed, through SMS correspondence with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla without prior agreement with EU countries. They were concluded under the personal supervision of the European Commission President. By November 2021, the EU had purchased about 4.6 billion doses for €71 billion–ten doses per EU citizen. The court’s decision opens the way for criminal prosecution of Ursula.
Despite these difficulties, von der Leyen managed to push through the necessary decision. To be re-elected, she needed at least 361 votes out of 720. Ultimately, 401 deputies voted for her. In 2019, the results were more reassuring: 461 deputies supported her.
Notably, on July 16, the European Parliament re-elected Maltese Roberta Metsola as its President in the first round (562 votes). She represents the center-right European People’s Party, whose leader is «Frau Von» herself. Clearly, her involvement was crucial. Metsola, it seems, has returned the favor.
Coincidentally or not, Ursula, now 65, was born near Brussels, to which she appears to have «clung». Her father, Ernst Albrecht, held senior positions first in the European Coal and Steel Community and later in the European Economic Community — the structures upon which the European Union was later founded. Albrecht also made his mark in Germany — he was Prime Minister of Lower Saxony. Due to her father’s career, she, unlike many other Berlin politicians, speaks fluent English and French. This is not surprising, as she lived and studied in the Belgian capital until the age of 14.
In governments led by Angela Merkel, von der Leyen, representing the CDU, held various ministerial posts. From 2005 to 2009, the mother of seven children served as Minister for Family Affairs. She initiated child benefit payments and increased funding for childcare institutions.
In 2009, the certified doctor (gynecologist) became Minister of Health. In December 2013, she unexpectedly became Minister of Defense. In this position, Frau von der Leyen achieved certain successes. She managed to change the government’s course on cutting the Bundeswehr budget and achieved an increase in the army’s size — the first time since Germany’s reunification.
However, there were also failures, primarily poor personnel decisions leading to scandals. Many important rearmament projects were delayed, right-wing extremists were found in the army, and instances of hazing were uncovered. The culmination was a loud scandal involving the illegal expenditure of €200 million from the military budget between 2015 and 2016 to pay consultants from consulting firms. This scandal cast such a shadow on Ursula that she was removed from the list of real candidates to succeed Merkel as Chancellor. However, «Mommy» did not abandon her and secured her appointment as head of the European government.
A few days ago, Merkel celebrated her 70th birthday. It’s interesting whether the now almost omnipotent Ursula, who has obtained nearly absolute power in the EU, congratulated her.