Ursula von der Leyen is seeking a second term as head of the European Commission as the 65-year-old nears the end of her current term.
Von der Leyen will officially announce her plans to fight for another five years in office at a meeting of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party to be held in Berlin today.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference held last Saturday, von der Leyen said that she believes the next European Commission should include a dedicated defence portfolio.
The former German Minister of Defence said that if she were in the role in its next term she would introduce “a commissioner for defence,”
Von der Leyen’s European People’s party (EPP) is currently leading the polls ahead of EU Parliament elections in June and should this translate into a win for the party it would give it the right to put forward a candidate to hold top position at the European Commission.
In order to secure a nomination from the EEP she will require the support of members including Fine Gael.
Von der Leyen has come under pressure due the ongoing and widespread farmers protests across the EU which lead to a decision to abandon the controversial Sustainable Use Regulation (SUR) which was first tabled in June of 2022 sought to reduce the use of pesticides by half by 2030.
As previously reported by Gript, von der Leyen told the European Commission that “The Commission proposed SUR, with the worthy aim to reduce the risks of chemical plant protection products,”
“But the SUR proposal has become a symbol of polarisation. It has been rejected by the European Parliament. There is no progress anymore in the Council either. That is why I will propose to the College to withdraw this proposal.” she added.
However the European Commission still plans to push for a 90% overall reduction of CO2 (compared to the 1990 levels) by 2040.