Ursula von der Leyen is the German defence minister. Photograph: Hayoung Jeon/EPA

Women to head EU institutions after 60 years of male dominance

Aminy Andawi
Politics & Economic
International
Jul 03, 2019
1576
Ursula von der Leyen, Germany’s defense minister, have received the opportunity to replace Jean-Claude Juncker as president of the commission in Brussels. And the French managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, will take over Mario Draghi’s position as the president of the ECB. These two women have won the backing of EU’s leader to lead the European commission and European Central Bank after more than 60 years of male dominance.

The 60 year-old Von der Leyen is now the European commission president. Leyen studied at the London School of Economics before taking a medical degree and speaks both English and French fluently. She will officially become the first female head of the EU’s executive branch if she wins the support from th majority of MEPs.

It will be the first time in 52 years that a German national would lead the commission. Moreover, the outgoing president of the European council, Donald Tusk said that he is happy to know that the commission will be led by women and he cannot wait for the decision to be official.

Von der Leyen was proposed to lead the commission after Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Italy rejected Frans Timmermans, the Dutch former foreign minister, over his failure to protect the independence of the country’s judiciary.

Source: https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-guardian/20190703/281500752802412

Politic , International