European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was elected as expected The most prominent candidate For the Christian Democratic Party in the upcoming European elections. This means that she will be the main figure in the European People’s Party campaign.

The German was elected at the party congress in Bucharest by 400 votes to 89. The vote was also considered a formality because there were no other candidates. The European People’s Party includes the CDA, the Christian Union, the German Christian Democratic Union, and von der Leyen’s party. The BBB and NSC also want to join the EPP after the election.

In a speech at the party conference, von der Leyen described the struggle for peace, security, freedom and prosperity as the spearhead of her election campaign. It also identified the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and the rise of China as the main challenges for the European Union.

Von der Leyen announced last month that she wanted to continue as President of the European Commission. The omens are favorable, because this role is usually occupied by someone from the larger party. The European People’s Party leads opinion polls for the European Parliament elections.

This does not mean that the race is over yet. The heads of government of EU member states must nominate her to lead the European Commission again, after which the European Parliament must give the green light.

Von der Leyen has been president of the European Commission since December 2019, and in this position she is responsible for around 32,000 employees. They must submit proposals for new EU laws and monitor compliance with treaties. The American magazine Forbes recently described von der Leyen as the most powerful woman in the world.