Ursula von der Leyen

Ursula von der Leyen was born in Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium in 1958. She spent her childhood in Brussels and later relocated to Sehnde in the Hanover region.

In 1971, Ursula von der Leyen relocated to Sehnde in the Hanover region with her family after her father became CEO of the food company Bahlsen and involved in state politics in Lower Saxony.

Ursula von der Leyen's father, Ernst Albrecht, served as Minister President of Lower Saxony from 1976 to 1990, being re-elected multiple times.

In 1978, Ursula von der Leyen fled to London due to the fear of communist terrorism in West Germany. She lived under a different name and with protection from Scotland Yard to avoid detection.

In 1980, Ursula von der Leyen's father, Ernst Albrecht, ran for the CDU nomination for the German chancellorship but narrowly missed the candidacy.

In 1986, Ursula von der Leyen married Heiko von der Leyen, a physician and member of the von der Leyen family. Her husband later became a professor of medicine and CEO of a medical engineering company.

Ursula von der Leyen's doctoral dissertation titled 'C-reaktives Protein als diagnostischer Parameter zur Erfassung eines Amnioninfektionssyndroms bei vorzeitigem Blasensprung und therapeutischem Entspannungsbad in der Geburtsvorbereitung' was completed at Hannover Medical School in 1990.

In 1991, Ursula von der Leyen's doctoral thesis faced plagiarism accusations, leading to a review and public allegations by notable German academics. The university's investigation concluded that while the thesis contains plagiarism, no intention to deceive could be proven.

In 1996, Ursula von der Leyen became active in local politics in Lower Saxony, after returning to Germany from California.

In 2003, Ursula von der Leyen was part of the Herzog Commission, which drafted alternative proposals for social welfare reform in response to Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's 'Agenda 2010'.

In 2005, Ursula von der Leyen, as the Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, introduced the Child Advancement Act and the German Elternzeit, which aimed to provide childcare structures throughout Germany and a paid parental leave scheme, including additional months for fathers.

In March 2008, Ursula von der Leyen participated in the first joint cabinet meeting of the governments of Germany and Israel in Jerusalem, marking a significant diplomatic event.

In July 2009, Ursula von der Leyen advocated for the mandatory blockage of child pornography on the Internet through service providers, leading to the nickname 'Zensursula'. Her actions caused a rising interest in the Pirate Party and brought attention to the sensitive topic of internet censorship.

Ursula von der Leyen was appointed as Germany's first female defence minister by Chancellor Merkel, aiming to restore the morale and prestige of the scandal-ridden Defence Ministry.

In June 2014, Ursula von der Leyen introduced a €100 million plan to make the Bundeswehr more attractive to recruits. The plan included offering crèches for soldiers' children, limiting postings to match school term dates, and considerable rises in hardship allowances for difficult postings.

In August 2014, Ursula von der Leyen categorized sensor technology and crypto technology as 'vital to national interests' in a debate over funding priorities. This decision was met with dissatisfaction from Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel, who expressed concerns about the impact on national defense procurement and European cooperation.

In September 2014, Ursula von der Leyen made a significant decision to send arms to Kurdish and Iraqi security forces, breaking a longstanding taboo on Germany's dispatching of weapons to a conflict zone, showcasing her proponent stance on a more assertive German foreign policy.

In October 2014, Ursula von der Leyen committed to addressing the issues in Germany's military equipment budget following the publication of a KPMG report highlighting failures in controlling suppliers, costs, and delivery deadlines for various military equipment.

In December 2014, Ursula von der Leyen was elected as a member of the CDU executive board, marking a significant milestone in her political career within the party.

In January 2015, Ursula von der Leyen publicly criticized Airbus for delays in the delivery of A400M military transport planes, citing serious problems with product quality. The ministry agreed to accept compensation for delays in deliveries of A400M aircraft under her leadership.

At the Munich Security Conference in February 2015, Ursula von der Leyen publicly defended the German refusal to supply Ukraine with weapons, emphasizing the need to remain united in Europe over Ukraine and arguing that negotiations with Russia were possible.

During her visit to India in May 2015, Ursula von der Leyen expressed support for a project initiated by the Indian government to build German TKMS diesel-electric submarines, demonstrating her involvement in international arms projects.

Von der Leyen visited Bundeswehr troops in Afghanistan and managed the gradual withdrawal of German soldiers from the country as part of NATO's mission ISAF.

In January 2016, Ursula von der Leyen decided not to seek parliamentary approval to extend Germany's three-year Patriot missile batteries mission to southern Turkey, allowing it to lapse.

In April 2016, under von der Leyen's leadership, the German Federal Armed Forces announced a commitment of 65 million Euro to establish a permanent presence at Incirlik Air Base, as part of Germany's commitment to the military intervention against ISIL.

In May 2016, Ursula von der Leyen announced the first German military expansion since the end of the Cold War. The plan included spending €130 billion on new equipment by 2030 and adding nearly 7,000 soldiers by 2023.

Von der Leyen became a member of the board of trustees at the World Economic Forum, showcasing her involvement in global economic and political affairs.

Von der Leyen chaired the EPP Defence Ministers Meeting, demonstrating her leadership role in defense matters within the European People's Party.

In February 2017, Ursula von der Leyen announced an increase in the number of Bundeswehr professional soldiers from 178,000 to 198,000 by 2024.

In April 2017, Ursula von der Leyen fired the army's training commander, Major General Walter Spindler, after Bundeswehr officials failed to properly investigate reports of brutal hazing rituals, sexual humiliation, and bullying in military training.

In June 2017, Ursula von der Leyen voted in favour of Germany's introduction of same-sex marriage, going against her parliamentary group's majority.

Ursula von der Leyen was proposed by the European Council as their candidate for the office of President of the European Commission. Her nomination was later approved by the European Parliament with 383 to 327 votes. Germany abstained from the vote to nominate her.

Ursula von der Leyen's nomination as President of the European Commission was approved by the European Parliament with 383 to 327 votes.

In light of her new role as President-elect of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen resigned her seat in the German Bundestag.

Ursula von der Leyen unveiled the new proposed EU Commission's structure, renaming a number of posts of the College of Commissioners to make them sound less formal and more goal-oriented.

Ursula von der Leyen assumed office as the 13th president of the European Commission, making history as the first woman to hold the office.

In March 2020, von der Leyen's Commission declined the proposal to suspend the Schengen Agreement to implement border controls around Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic. This decision faced criticism from some European politicians.

In April 2021, Ursula von der Leyen engaged in electronic correspondence with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla to negotiate the terms of sale of the COVID-19 vaccine to the EU. This deal, if fully exercised, is estimated to be worth around €35 billion and would cover the purchase of 900 million doses of the BioNTech/Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

In the midst of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ursula von der Leyen traveled to Kyiv to lend her support to the Ukrainian people and their president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. She visited the site of the Bucha massacre and vowed to work towards Ukraine's accession to the EU.

During their visit to China in April 2023, Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron raised concerns about China's repression of ethnic minorities, political dissidents, and civil society activists. They specifically expressed their concerns over the situation in Xinjiang, where the Chinese government has detained an estimated one million Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in re-education camps, subjected them to forced labour, surveillance, and genocide. They also urged China to respect the autonomy and freedoms of Hong Kong.

During the October 2023 Israel–Hamas war, Ursula von der Leyen condemned the indiscriminate attacks by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas on Israel, asserting Israel's right to defend itself against such attacks and announcing an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza.