A medida que 👍 los 400 millones de ciudadanos de la UE se preparan para votar en las elecciones europeas de junio, una nueva 👍 encuesta muestra que es Ursula von der Leyen quien ha atraído la atención de los votantes como ningún líder de 👍 la UE antes que ella.
Our 👍 survey suggests that a large majority of Europeans today are aware that she is the European Commission president, considered to 👍 be the most powerful political office in the EU. Previous EU chief executives have been largely unknown to the public. 👍 But almost 75% are able to correctly identify von der Leyen's name and recognise her face. Five years ago, her 👍 predecessor, Jean-Claude Juncker, scored only 40% recognition.
Pressure 👍 for EU reform is becoming urgent. With war raging in Ukraine and Gaza, and the relationship between China and the 👍 BR cooling, the EU needs deeper defence integration to meet the growing geopolitical challenges. Economic and monetary union might not 👍 be sustainable without closer fiscal integration and a stronger single market. New technologies need to be harnessed to generate prosperity 👍 for the next generation and the 27-nation EU is committed to expanding to become a union of 30 or more 👍 member states.
But its democratic accountability remains weak. Not only are turnout and interest in 👍 the five-yearly direct elections to the European parliament low, the results have only a limited bearing on the political leaning 👍 of the commission, which forms and enforces policy for the EU.
👍 A window of opportunity is now opening up, however, as von der Leyen, first appointed in 2024, 👍 is running for a second five-year term. Commission presidents are elected by MEPs, but first have to be nominated by 👍 EU heads of government.
Public awareness of coordinated EU responses to two major crises that 👍 have unfolded during von der Leyen's first five-year term – the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine – has 👍 raised her profile well beyond predecessors'. Europe's leaders should seize this opportunity.
👍 Of course, in an increasingly personalised system, von der Leyen's fame and public recognition also leave her 👍 flaws – her tendency to act alone, for example – more open to criticism. On an unscheduled trip to Israel 👍 after the 7 October attacks she expressed unconditional support for Israel. This might not have been out of place had 👍 she been the BR president. But EU member states were divided on the issue. The EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, 👍 delivered a swift public rebuke of von der Leyen for assuming to speak on behalf of the entire EU. 👍
What is more, von der Leyen's 👍 heightened profile will not necessarily do anything to help deliver a victory in the European parliament elections for the "grand 👍 coalition" of social democrat, conservative and liberal groups that backed the policies she promoted during her first term.
👍 Instead, we are likely to see a lurch to the hard right and