John Downing: Biggest challenge to Ursula von der Leyen’s future is the rise of the far right

Pragmatic politician has new policies for a new campaign – more guns, less greens

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Photo: Liesa Johannssen/Reuters

John Downing

Ursula von der Leyen lives “over the shop” in a small EU-adapted apartment on the 13th floor of the commission HQ, close to her offices. It allows her to devote her time to steering things across 27 member states, which amount to 450 million people.

She is what is known as “a Euro brat”, raised and schooled in Brussels, where her father was a senior EU official.