Euractiv | Ursula von der Leyen faces pre-election challenges

If Ursula von der Leyen wants to sit at the head of the European Commission for a second term, she will likely have to prepare a less green program than five years ago. While no surprises are expected for her nomination, a power shift is anticipated in the European Parliament, which approves the new head of the Commission. Pre-election models predict a strengthening of parliamentary factions critical of the Union. Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Euractiv.

I consider the various controversies surrounding her now to be more of a storm in a teacup ahead of the elections. Von der Leyen has evidently handled her role well, successfully guiding Europe through unprecedented crises, which has been acknowledged by leaders of member states on numerous occasions. She holds a strong position within the European People's Party, which is likely to win the elections. I also believe it was the right decision for her to lead the party into the elections and actively participate in the campaign.

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Viktor Daněk
Deputy Director

Before entering the NGO sphere, Viktor Daněk worked for almost ten years as a journalist. During his time with the public service Czech radio, he focused mainly on covering EU affairs. He spent almost five years as a permanent correspondent in Brussels, where he cooperated with other media outlets. Before his career in journalism, he gained experience in the area of marketing and communication in the Česká spořitelna banking group and at the Czech Technical University in Prague. He holds university degrees in Media Studies and International Relations. Viktor Daněk joined the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy in October 2023. He continues to be active in the media as a freelancer. His main areas of interest are institutional questions of European integration, globalisation and the EU’s climate and migration policy.