European Commission chief von der Leyen canceled visit to Poland due to severe pneumonia
Kyiv • UNN
Ursula von der Leyen will not be able to attend the inaugural meeting due to Poland's presidency of the EU Council. The European Commission meeting in Gdansk, scheduled for January 9-10, will be postponed to another date.
The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will not come to Poland at the inaugural meeting for the start of the Polish presidency of the Council of the EU due to a severe form of pneumonia. Commission spokesman Stefan de Keersmaeker told PAP, reports UNN.
According to him, von der Leyen has fallen ill with a severe form of pneumonia. For this reason, the EC meeting scheduled for Poland will be held on another day.
“Chairwoman (EC) von der Leyen has canceled her (...) commitments for the first two weeks of January,” de Keersmaeker reported.
The EC head was to chair a Commission retreat in Poland scheduled for January 9 and 10. Such trips of the top official and all commissioners are usually organized in connection with the presidency of member states in the Council of the EU. Within the framework of the Polish Presidency, the government planned to hold such a meeting in Gdansk.
“Von der Leyen's severe pneumonia probably means the meeting will have to be held on another day,” the report said.
Supplement
Poland officially assumed the presidency of the Council of the EU on January 1.
Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga reportedthat from Poland's presidency of the EU Council in 2025, Ukraine expects increased military support, sanctions pressure, and accelerated European integration.
