Displaying items by tag: Ursula von der Leyen

Thursday, 26 November 2020 20:16

EU willing to be 'creative' to seal Brexit deal

Ursula von der Leyen said the EU is willing to be ‘creative’ to get a deal with the UK and that European interests will best be served by leaders backing any compromise that emerges. There is concern among member states that the UK might successfully push the commission into making concessions which will give British businesses an advantage in the marketplace over the decades to come. Ms von der Leyen said she trusted Michel Barnier’s ‘skilful steer’. The EU’s chief negotiator is expected to go to London on 27 November in a last-ditch push for an agreement. ‘These are decisive days for negotiations with the United Kingdom’, von der Leyen said; ‘I cannot tell you today if in the end, there will be a deal.’ She said the commission’s negotiating team was open-minded as to how to bridge the gaps between the two sides, but that they were holding firm on key principles.

Published in Europe
Thursday, 05 December 2019 23:15

The new European Commission

The mandate for the 2019-2024 European Union sees the election of new MEPs to the Parliament and a change to the whole European Commission, as Ursula von der Leyen replaces Jean Claude Junker as president. Pray for God to direct the new members to be people of integrity as they step into positions of authority. Ms von der Leyen, who took office on 1 December, will focus on an ambitious climate agenda to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, and will work closely with the European Parliament to strengthen democracy and create a fair social market economy in Europe. She also gave a very personal insight into her idea of Europe’s path amid global challenges saying, ‘We need to do it the European way’.

Published in Europe
Friday, 19 July 2019 11:09

European Commission President

Europe’s new president of the European Commission is German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen. She will lead the executive body that shapes policy for the world's largest economic bloc. Many believe Leyen's appointment confirms their view that the EU is undemocratic and doesn't respect ordinary citizens because she wasn't selected by the voters in the recent EU elections or by the lawmakers who won those seats. She was hand-picked by the 28 EU member states, who side-stepped better-known candidates chosen by various political factions. Anti-EU politicians like France's Marine Le Pen will spend the next five years declaring that von der Leyen's presidency reflects everything that is wrong with Brussels. Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron and others gave her narrow margin of approval so that her mandate is weak as she confronts fraught relations with the US and China, showdowns over Italy's budget, erosion of Hungary and Poland’s rule of law and the UK's exit.

Published in Europe