Ursula von der Leyen
Reports on Ursula von der Leyen See all →
Opinion: EU values and double standards
Relations between Brussels and new member states in Central and Eastern Europe have deteriorated. The Union’s relentless pursuit of a “community of values” has fueled resentment in many countries, lending credence to the claims of anti-EU leaders. Such fundamental clashes are rooted in very real conflicts of interests and cultural differences and are unlikely to be overcome.
New Opportunities 2021: Will the EU deliver or disappoint?
The European Union took bold initiatives in 2020 to fight the Covid-19 pandemic and lay the foundations for economic recovery. This year the EU’s crisis management capacities will be tested by the need to deliver on these commitments amid acrimony over delays in delivering vaccines, political uncertainty in key member ...
The German economic policy agenda for Europe
The German presidency of the European Union is likely to have a mixed legacy. On one hand, the financial packages agreed should be considered a French-German political success. On the other, the fiscal consequences of the new measures will allow the European Union to raise debt on an unprecedented scale, ...
The EU’s new, more practical strategy for Africa
The EU’s new strategy for Africa focuses on areas that are of crucial importance in the eyes of African governments: green transition and energy access, digital transformation, sustainable growth and jobs, peace and governance, and migration and mobility. However, a lack of political cohesion on the European side could prevent ...
Relevance beyond the crisis: Emerging contours of a weakened Europe
The coronavirus crisis has had a profound effect on Europe, not only bringing changes that no one thought possible just months ago but deepening divisions and intensifying acrimony between EU countries. With these ruptures laid bare, the bloc again faces an existential crisis. It should survive for now, but a ...
