EU: mini portrait of incoming European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, through 7 articles from Planet Labor

On 16 July 2019, Ursula von der Leyen became the first woman to be elected president of the European Commission (see article n°11232). She will commence the role in November. A German politician, born in Belgium, she is a member of the CDU (Christian Democratic Union of Germany). Having been picked out by Angela Merkel, Ursula von der Leyen became minister for family in the German chancellor’s first grand coalition (2005 to 2009), before serving as minister for labour and social affairs (2009 to 2013) and, finally, taking the role of federal minister of defence in December 2013, becoming the first woman to hold the position. Between 2005 and 2013, her name has regularly popped up in our articles, which allow us to retrace some her successes and failures.