Von der Leyen not planning to run for German president - Politico
Kyiv • UNN
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will not run in Germany's 2027 presidential election, focusing instead on her current duties. In an interview, she also discussed the situation in Gaza and Israel's actions.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has stated that she is not considering running in the German presidential elections in 2027, as the politician announced in an interview with Politico, writes UNN.
"I am fully focused on my duties as President of the European Commission and am not available for other positions," she said.
Von der Leyen, who was re-elected as head of the Commission last year, has held the position since 2019. German media reported this summer that she might leave the EU executive body before the end of her term – that is, by 2029 – to run for the German presidency.
Among other topics raised in the interview were defense issues, the EU-US trade agreement, and the situation in Gaza. Von der Leyen reiterated that "true security" should be ensured for Israel, while all Palestinians deserve a "safe present and future."
The President noted that the two-state solution is "the only prospect for lasting peace in the region." The actions of the Israeli government over the past month, she said, are "a blatant attempt to undermine" this solution.
That is why, she said, the European Commission decided to propose a package of "targeted and proportionate measures" against Israel in connection with the identified human rights violations in Gaza. At the same time, von der Leyen admitted: "I realize that finding a majority (in support of these measures) will be difficult."