The new president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has praised the EU’s commitment to Africa during her first official visit outside the European Union in Ethiopia. “It’s been less than three months since I took office and here I am,” said the new Commission president at a brief joint press conference with …

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The future president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, presented her new team of Commissioners on Tuesday, with an emphasis on  portfolios relating to climate and digitalization and with key jobs going to Italy, France and Ireland.  There will be three executive vice presidents who will perform a dual function: acting as vice …

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The elected president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who is about to take the leadership of the executive arm of the European Union in November, has decided who will be part of her team in the next five years. Von der Leyen, who will replace Jean-Claude Juncker, achieved almost perfect gender equality …

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Ursula von der Leyen, the centre-right nominee for president of the European Commission, has promised MEPs that climate change will be one of the top priorities of her term if elected. Speaking to the European Parliament ahead of its vote on her nomination to become the Commission’s first female president, the German Christian Democrat also …

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German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen will become the first woman to European Commission after her candidacy, proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron, was endorsed by the heads of state and government. A member of Angela Merkel’s CDU, von der Leyen has been Minister of Defense since 2013, after serving as head of the …

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The European Commission today presented the European Green Pact with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality for the European Union by 2050. Ursula von der Leyen said the agreement is “the European equivalent of putting man on the moon”. Formally presented to the European Parliament on Wednesday, the President of the European Commission says this …

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A new European commission, to be led by former German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen, was approved by a vote in the European parliament on Wednesday. The commission, which will be in place the next five years, was approved by 461 MEPs, with 157 voting against it and 89 abstentions. Von der Leyen and …

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The European Parliament is to vote on the new European Commissioners after the parliament’s chief announced the debates and hearings on the makeup of the new Commission were complete. “The European Parliament decides on the new European Commission next Wednesday,” David Sassoli told reporters after meeting with the Commission’s three executive Vice Presidents-designate on Thursday. …

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The European Investment Bank announced on Thursday that it will stop financing energy projects related to fossil fuels in two years, as part of its fight against climate change. According to the new EIB policy that will enter into force “at the end of 2021,” those energy projects that request financing must verify an emission …

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The European Parliament has blocked the nomination of Hungarian and Romanian candidates in the next Commission, due to alleged conflicts of interest.  Romanian Social Democrat Rovana Plumb and Hungary’s Laszlo Trocsanyi  were heard by the European Parliament’s “Legal Affairs” Committee, which examines their declaration of interests. However, after this in camera hearing on Thursday, MEPs …

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171 days after Germany’s national election, Angela Merkel has been confirmed as the country’s next Chancellor. Last year’s election results, which saw the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) gain ground over Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU), presaged months of political deadlock and inter-party bargaining. This deadlock came to an end earlier in March, when Germany’s Social …

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