Challenges in the Life of Ursula von der Leyen in a Detailed Timeline
Life is full of challenges, and Ursula von der Leyen faced many. Discover key struggles and how they were overcome.
Ursula von der Leyen is a German politician currently serving as the 13th president of the European Commission, a position she has held since 2019. Prior to this, she served in the German federal government from 2005 to 2019 under Angela Merkel, including as Federal Minister of Defence. Von der Leyen is a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the European People's Party (EPP). In 2024, she was elected as the EPP's Spitzenkandidat for the European Parliament elections and subsequently re-elected to head the Commission in July 2024.
1978: Fled to London
In 1978, Ursula von der Leyen fled to London due to fears of being kidnapped by the Red Army Faction (RAF).
2010: Preferred Candidate for President of Germany
In 2010, Ursula von der Leyen was Merkel's preferred candidate for President of Germany, but her nomination was blocked.
2010: Considered for President of Germany
In 2010, Ursula von der Leyen was initially considered the front-runner to be nominated by the ruling CDU/CSU parties for election as President of Germany, but Christian Wulff was eventually chosen.
2013: Campaign for Female Quota on Company Boards
In 2013, Ursula von der Leyen unsuccessfully campaigned for a statutory quota for female participation in the supervisory boards of companies in Germany. The proposal required company boards to be at least 20% female by 2018, rising to 40% by 2023.
August 2014: Categorized Funding Priorities
In August 2014, Ursula von der Leyen categorized sensor and cryptotechnology as "vital to national interests" in a debate over funding priorities, leading to disagreement.
October 2014: Pledged to Get a Grip on Military Equipment Budget
In October 2014, Ursula von der Leyen pledged to get a grip on Germany's military equipment budget after a report on repeated failures in controlling suppliers, costs and delivery deadlines.
December 2014: Fingerprint Cloned by Hacker
In December 2014, Ursula von der Leyen's fingerprint was cloned by a German hacker using commercially available software and photographs.
January 2015: Criticized Airbus over Delays in A400M Delivery
In January 2015, Ursula von der Leyen publicly criticized Airbus over delays in the delivery of A400M military transport planes, complaining about product quality.
August 2015: Criticism of Turkish President
Following criticism from German officials of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's escalation of the Kurdish–Turkish conflict in August 2015, von der Leyen decided to let Germany's three-year Patriot missile batteries mission to southern Turkey lapse in January 2016 instead of seeking parliamentary approval to extend it.
September 2015: Signalled Openness to Delaying Troop Withdrawal from Afghanistan
In September 2015, Ursula von der Leyen signalled that she was open to delaying the withdrawal of 850 German soldiers from Afghanistan beyond 2016 after the Taliban's seizure of Kunduz.
2015: Plagiarism Allegations
In 2015, researchers at VroniPlag Wiki reviewed Ursula von der Leyen's 1991 doctoral dissertation and alleged plagiarism.
March 2016: Investigation Concluded
In March 2016, the Hannover Medical School concluded an investigation into Ursula von der Leyen's doctoral dissertation, finding plagiarism but no intention to deceive.
July 2016: Proposal to Allow Non-German EU Nationals to Join Bundeswehr Met with Opposition
In July 2016, Ursula von der Leyen's proposal to allow non-German EU nationals to join the Bundeswehr was met with strong opposition.
2016: Sought Damages for A400M Delivery Delays
In 2016, Ursula von der Leyen asked for an additional 12.7 million euros in damages for delays in the delivery of a fourth A400M plane.
2016: Reference point for migrant arrivals
In 2022, the European Union recorded the highest number of unauthorised migrant arrivals since 2016.
2016: Troop withdrawal from Afghanistan
In September 2015, Ursula von der Leyen signalled that she was open to delaying the withdrawal of 850 German soldiers from Afghanistan beyond 2016 after the Taliban's seizure of Kunduz.
April 2017: Fired Army Training Commander
In April 2017, Ursula von der Leyen fired the army's training commander, Major General Walter Spindler, after failures to properly investigate reports of hazing and bullying.
2018: Investigation into Contract Awards
Since 2018 an investigative committee organised by Germany's Federal Audit Office has been looking into how contracts worth tens of millions of euros were awarded to external consultancy firms.
December 2019: Accusations Against German Defence Ministry
In December 2019, German parliamentarians accused the German Defence Ministry of obstructing an investigation into consultant contracts by deleting data from Ursula von der Leyen's phone when she was Minister of Defence, citing security reasons.
2019: Fallon comments on von der Leyen
In 2019, Michael Fallon noted that she had been "a star presence" in the NATO community. She has faced domestic criticism for her leadership style.
March 2020: Rejection of Schengen Agreement Suspension
In March 2020, Ursula von der Leyen's Commission rejected the suspension of the Schengen Agreement and introduction of border controls around Italy due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She also condemned general travel bans and the U.S. decision to restrict travel from Europe.
April 2021: Controversy Over Vaccine Deal Correspondence
In April 2021, The New York Times reported that Ursula von der Leyen exchanged electronic correspondence with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla about COVID-19 vaccine sales to the EU. The European Ombudsman later accused von der Leyen of "maladministration" for not disclosing the correspondence and claiming the messages disappeared.
2021: Response to European Energy Crisis
In 2021, facing a surge in energy prices due to various factors, Ursula von der Leyen stated that Europe was too reliant on gas imports and advocated for diversifying suppliers and accelerating the transition to clean energy.
May 2022: Announcement of EU's Ban on Russian Oil Imports
On May 4, 2022, Ursula von der Leyen announced that the European Union would seek to ban all imports of Russian crude oil and petroleum products to become independent from Russian energy.
2022: Highest Number of Unauthorised Migrant Arrivals
In 2022, the European Union recorded the highest number of unauthorised migrant arrivals since 2016.
April 2023: Visit to China and raising human rights issues
In April 2023, Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron raised concerns about human rights in China during their visit, amid growing criticism of China's repression of ethnic minorities and political dissidents, particularly in Xinjiang and Hong Kong.
September 2023: Meeting with UAE President on Sanctioned Goods
In September 2023, Ursula von der Leyen met with UAE President Mohammad bin Zayed to discuss the export of sanctioned goods to Russia. She urged the UAE to be more cooperative in preventing the country from being a mediator supplying sanctioned goods to Russia.
September 2023: Migration Crisis and Call for Action on Lampedusa
In September 2023, after a surge of migrant arrivals on the Italian island of Lampedusa, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni requested Ursula von der Leyen's assistance to address the crisis and accelerate the implementation of the agreement with Tunisia.
April 2024: Praise for the EU Asylum and Migration Pact
In April 2024, Ursula von der Leyen praised the EU Asylum and Migration Pact as a "huge achievement for Europe," highlighting its provisions for relocating migrants and instituting a mandatory solidarity mechanism, despite criticisms regarding its approach to illegal immigration.
May 2024: Lawyer Denied Access to EPPO Case File
In early May 2024, Diane Protat, a lawyer, was denied access to the EPPO's case file regarding a complaint against Ursula von der Leyen. Later, Hungary and Poland joined the lawsuit, and there were calls for von der Leyen's candidacy for President of the European Commission to be withdrawn.
2024: EPPO Takes Over "Pfizergate" Investigation
In 2024, the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) took over the investigation into the "Pfizergate" scandal from Belgian authorities, involving allegations of interference, destruction of SMS, corruption, and conflict of interest.
