Ursula von der Leyen
President of the European Commission since 2019
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| March 4 2025 | Von der Leyen presented the EU's €800 billion ($840 billion) defence investment plan called 'ReArm Europe', proposing potential easing of fiscal rules to support increased defense spending by member states. |
| February 26 2025 | Ursula von der Leyen announced the Clean Industrial Deal, a €100 billion ($104.94 billion) initiative to support EU-made clean manufacturing. |
| February 9 2025 | Awarded the Commander's Grand Cross of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas, signifying continued strong diplomatic ties with Lithuania. |
| 2024 | In the fall, von der Leyen became an advocate for nuclear power, aligning with her party, the CDU. |
| 2024 | Ranked #1 on Forbes' list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women |
| 2024 | Became subject of investigation by the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) regarding the Pfizer vaccine contract, with allegations including potential interference in public functions and conflict of interest. |
| July 18 2024 | Re-elected as President of the European Commission by the European Parliament with an absolute majority of 401 out of 720 members. |
| June 27 2024 | The European Council nominated von der Leyen for a second term as President of the European Commission. |
| April 2024 | Von der Leyen praised the EU Asylum and Migration Pact, highlighting its provisions for relocating up to 30,000 migrants per year and introducing a mandatory solidarity mechanism among EU member states. |
| March 7 2024 | Elected as the Spitzenkandidat by the European People's Party (EPP) to lead the campaign for the 2024 European Parliament elections. |
| January 25 2024 | Awarded the Order of Saint Panteleimon, further demonstrating her international diplomatic recognition. |
| 2023 | Ranked #1 on Forbes' list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women |
| 2023 | Ursula von der Leyen received an Honorary Doctorate from Université Toulouse Capitole, recognizing her academic or professional achievements. |
| December 2023 | Visited Egypt and discussed the strategic partnership between the EU and Egypt with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. |
| October 2023 | Condemned Azerbaijan's military operation against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, reaffirming the need to respect Armenia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. |
| October 2023 | During the Israel-Hamas war, condemned the Hamas attack on Israel as 'terrorism in its most despicable form', affirmed Israel's right to self-defense, and announced tripling humanitarian aid to Gaza. |
| October 13 2023 | Von der Leyen visited Israel to express solidarity with the country during the Israel-Hamas war, which drew criticism from EU lawmakers and diplomats for her strong pro-Israel stance. |
| September 2023 | Faced criticism from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni regarding the migrant crisis, with a request to personally address the situation in Lampedusa after 7,000 migrants arrived within 24 hours. |
| September 7 2023 | Met with UAE President Mohammad bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi to discuss the export of sanctioned goods through the Gulf state to Russia, urging more cooperative handling of the issue and expecting the UAE to stop mediating sanctioned goods supply to Russia. |
| July 2023 | Visited the Philippines and met with President Bongbong Marcos, praising the country's improvements in human rights. |
| May 2023 | Delivered remarks at the Beyond Growth conference in the European Parliament, critically discussing the limitations of a GDP-based economy and fossil fuel-centered growth model. |
| April 2023 | Ursula von der Leyen visited China with French President Emmanuel Macron, raising concerns about human rights issues, including the treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang and the autonomy of Hong Kong during a diplomatic meeting. |
| April 2023 | Issued a video statement celebrating Israel's 75th Independence Day, praising the Jewish People's establishment of a homeland and their agricultural achievements. |
| 2022 | Ranked #1 on Forbes' list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women |
| 2022 | Named in BBC 100 Women list |
| 2022 | Ursula von der Leyen was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, highlighting her international recognition and contributions. |
| 2022 | Awarded the Global Goalkeeper Award by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Goalkeepers program |
| November 2022 | Announced her commission would work to establish an International Criminal Tribunal for the Russian Federation. |
| August 2022 | Advocated for the EU emission trading system as a method to reduce CO2 emissions. |
| August 23 2022 | Honored with the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 1st class, likely in recognition of support for Ukraine. |
| July 18 2022 | Called Azerbaijan a reliable energy partner and signed an agreement to diversify gas supplies in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war, which later sparked controversy due to Azerbaijan's subsequent actions in Armenia. |
| May 4 2022 | Announced the European Union's plan to ban all imports of Russian crude oil and petroleum products, emphasizing the need for independence from Russian energy sources. |
| April 8 2022 | Travelled to Kyiv during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, visited the site of the Bucha massacre, and publicly supported Ukraine's EU membership, vowing to work towards the country's accession. |
| 2021 | Addressed Europe's energy challenges, criticizing the continent's over-reliance on gas imports and advocating for diversification of energy suppliers and accelerated transition to clean energy. |
| 2021 | During the Israel-Palestine crisis, publicly condemned Hamas's attacks and emphasized the need to protect civilians on both sides. |
| December 2021 | Expressed concern about low COVID-19 vaccination rates, suggesting European nations should consider making vaccinations mandatory due to significant population remaining unvaccinated. |
| September 2021 | Von der Leyen condemned the treatment of France in the AUKUS defence pact, calling the handling of the submarine deal 'unacceptable' and demanding an explanation from the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. |
| April 2021 | Reported to have personally exchanged electronic correspondence with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla regarding COVID-19 vaccine sales to the European Union. |
| 2020 | Supported EU sanctions against Belarus following violent crackdowns on street protests and the disputed presidential election that challenged President Alexander Lukashenko's authoritarian rule. |
| 2020 | Received the Global Citizen Prize for World Leader |
| 2020 | Ranked #4 on Forbes' list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women |
| 2020 | Commented on potential EU sanctions against Turkey, distinguishing the situation from the Belarus sanctions when Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called for action over Turkish maritime incursions. |
| March 2020 | Von der Leyen's European Commission refused to suspend the Schengen Agreement during the early COVID-19 pandemic, opposing widespread border closures and advocating against general travel bans. |
| 2019 | Von der Leyen promoted the German government's decisions on arms exports to Saudi Arabia and Turkey. |
| 2019 | Ranked #4 on Forbes' list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women |
| December 2019 | German parliamentarians accused the German Defence Ministry of deleting evidence from von der Leyen's official phone during an investigation into consultant contract irregularities from her time as Minister of Defence. |
| December 1 2019 | Took office as President of the European Commission, becoming the first woman to hold this position. |
| November 2019 | At the Paris Peace Forum, advocated for stable European leadership and proposed increasing the EU's foreign policy budget spending by one-third. |
| September 10 2019 | Von der Leyen unveiled the new proposed EU Commission's structure, renaming commissioner posts and creating controversial portfolios including one for 'Protecting our European Way of Life'. |
| July 31 2019 | Von der Leyen resigned her seat in the German Bundestag in light of her new role as President-elect of the European Commission. |
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