When EU ambassadors met Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, for lunch in recent days, they had one pressing question: Did she plan to run for reelection?
Several national envoys asked the head of the EU executive “politely” about her plans at a lunch hosted by the Commission, according to two diplomats with direct knowledge of the exchanges.
With European Council chief Charles Michel having announced his plan to run for election as an EU lawmaker, pressure is growing on von der Leyen to clarify her intentions. Despite hinting at what she might do during a second term, the German ex-defense minister is so far keeping mum.
“Not a single muscle moved on her face,” said one of the diplomats. The diplomat, like others quoted, was granted anonymity to discuss non-public exchanges.
As the conversation at the ambassadors’ lunch showed, it’s becoming harder to avoid pressing questions — especially given the interest inside her party, the conservative European People’s Party, to make a formal declaration.
The decision to announce a bid for reelection is fraught for von der Leyen. As soon as she declares her candidacy, questions will arise about whether she is acting as the Commission president, or as a candidate. Already, her more political actions — like attending a conference of the liberal Renew Europe group in France in September — are being scrutinized for signs of what they say about her intentions to run.
As POLITICO first reported, the EPP has given prospective Spitzenkandidaten, or lead candidates, until February 21 to declare their intentions ahead of a party congress due to be held in Bucharest on March 6-9 where members will vote on their choice.
The EPP’s chairman, Manfred Weber, has said von der Leyen would be a top choice to be the party’s lead candidate.
Von der Leyen has no legal obligation to announce she plans to make a bid to be the EPP’s lead candidate to become the next Commission president. According to a process agreed by the EU’s political parties — but not its heads of state and government — the lead candidate from the political grouping that wins the largest share of votes in the European Parliament election should be the default choice for the next head of the EU executive.
Von der Leyden, who was named by EU leaders and confirmed by the European Parliament without having run in the 2019 EU-wide election, has faced criticism that she lacks “democratic legitimacy.”
“I think we suffer from the perception of a democratic deficit,” said Cristiano Sebastiani, in charge of the Renouveau et Democratie trade union that represents Commission staffers.
In addition to ambassadors and party operatives, questions are coming from inside the Commission: “The entire institution is asking this question,” added Sebastiani, referring to von der Leyen’s plans to run for reelection. “The staff is in limbo.”
If she decides to run, she will not have to step down as Commission president or take a leave of absence, according to internal rules last updated in 2018 to allow commissioners to hold onto their jobs while campaigning for EU office.
Von der Leyen, like other commissioners seeking office, would face intense scrutiny as to whether she is acting as a Commission president, or a candidate, from the day she says she wants to be reelected. The Commission’s rules state campaign activities must be clearly separated from official business, and that the EU executive’s resources can’t be used for campaigning.