Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, has made the decision not to run for a seat in the European Parliament during next year’s EU election. However, this does not rule her out from potentially becoming the center right’s lead candidate for a second term as President of the European Commission. Von der Leyen relayed this decision to her local branch of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Lower Saxony.
The European election is a significant event that takes place in all 27 member countries of the European Union. It determines which parties and individuals will secure key positions in European institutions. Currently, the European People’s Party (EPP) is leading in the polls. The CDU, affiliated with the EPP at the EU level, nominates candidates for the European Parliament through local ballots.
In theory, for von der Leyen to be elected as an EPP member to Parliament while also serving as the EPP’s lead candidate or Spitzenkandidat, she would need to run on the CDU candidates’ list in Lower Saxony. However, anonymous CDU officials have indicated that von der Leyen may not need to make that election bid to become the EPP’s Spitzenkandidat.
Some conservatives believe that the issue of democratic legitimacy is important in this situation. This stems from von der Leyen being chosen by European leaders over the EPP’s lead candidate in 2019. The German news outlet Niedersachsen Rundblick first reported that von der Leyen would not run as a member of the European Parliament, but could still become the Spitzenkandidat.
While von der Leyen has not formally announced her candidacy yet, her recent State of the Union speech was seen as a precursor to her reelection bid. If selected as the EPP’s lead candidate, von der Leyen would have a prominent role in the party’s campaign, despite not appearing on any ballot. A decision on the EPP’s lead candidate is expected to be made early next year.
It is important to note that although the Spitzenkandidat system was established in 2014 to democratize EU elections, the ultimate choice for key positions rests with EU heads of state and government in the European Council.
