Ursula von der Leyen

Ursula von der Leyen is the President of the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union. She is currently newsworthy due to her pronouncements on the EU's foreign policy direction and energy strategy amidst escalating global tensions, particularly the conflict involving Iran. Von der Leyen has recently called for a shift towards a more "realistic and interest-driven" foreign policy, questioning the EU's reliance on the rules-based international order. She argues that the EU can no longer be solely a "custodian for the old-world order." Furthermore, she has stated that returning to Russian fossil fuels would be a "strategic blunder" and has endorsed a return to nuclear energy, reversing what she now considers a "strategic mistake." These statements highlight her efforts to adapt the EU's policies to a rapidly changing and increasingly unstable global landscape, marked by conflict and energy vulnerability.