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Ursula von der Leyen
President of the European Commission
EU Commission President; Former German Defense Minister
Overview
Ursula von der Leyen has served as President of the European Commission since 2019; the first woman to hold the position. Previously; she served as German Minister of Defense (2013-2019) and held several other cabinet positions under Chancellor Angela Merkel. Her tenure has been marked by significant controversies. As German Defense Minister; she faced a major scandal when she hired expensive external consultants from McKinsey and Accenture without proper procurement procedures; costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of euros. A parliamentary investigation was launched; but critical evidence was destroyed when the phones of von der Leyen and key staff were wiped; ostensibly for "security reasons;" before they could be examined. As EU Commission President; she became embroiled in "Pfizergate" when the New York Times revealed she had exchanged personal text messages with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during negotiations for a massive COVID-19 vaccine contract worth up to 35 billion euros for 1.8 billion doses; far more than the EU's population of 450 million. The European Ombudsman found the Commission's refusal to search for the texts constituted "maladministration." The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) opened a criminal investigation in October 2022. Von der Leyen has refused to disclose the texts; claiming they were personal communications. She was narrowly re-elected for a second term in 2024 despite these ongoing investigations.
Key Affiliations
Controversies & Concerns
"Pfizergate": exchanged personal text messages with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during negotiations for a 35 billion euro vaccine contract (1.8 billion doses for a population of 450 million); then refused to disclose the texts; European Public Prosecutor opened criminal investigation in October 2022
European Ombudsman ruled the Commission's refusal to search for von der Leyen's text messages with Bourla constituted "maladministration"
As German Defense Minister; hired external consultants from McKinsey and Accenture worth hundreds of millions of euros without proper procurement procedures; triggered Bundestag investigation
Key evidence in the consulting scandal was destroyed when mobile phones belonging to von der Leyen and staff were wiped before parliamentary investigators could examine them
The Bundeswehr (German military) under her leadership suffered severe readiness problems; with reports of soldiers training with broomsticks instead of weapons and helicopters and tanks largely non-operational
Plagiarism allegations in her 1991 medical dissertation from Hannover Medical School; a commission found "some shortcomings" but did not revoke the degree
Oversaw EU vaccine procurement that resulted in massive overordering; 1.8 billion doses for 450 million people with questionable terms and liability protections for pharmaceutical companies
Related Investigations (1)
Known Associates & Connections
Angela Merkel
Served in Merkel's cabinet for over a decade
Albert Bourla
Pfizer CEO; exchanged undisclosed text messages during vaccine contract negotiations
Sources & Documentation
3 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports
Personal Information
- Born
- October 8, 1958
- Birthplace
- Brussels, Belgium
- Also Known As
- VdL, Queen Ursula
Education
- •London School of Economics
- •Hannover Medical School, MD (1991)
Key Timeline
October 8, 1958
Born in Brussels; Belgium (father was European Commission official)
1991
Completed MD at Hannover Medical School
2003
Entered Merkel's shadow cabinet; began political career
2013
Became Germany's first female Defense Minister
2019
Bundestag launched investigation into consulting scandal at Defense Ministry; phones wiped
July 2019
Narrowly elected President of the European Commission
2020-2021
Negotiated EU COVID vaccine contracts; exchanged texts with Pfizer CEO Bourla
April 2021
New York Times reported on text message exchanges with Bourla; Commission refused disclosure
July 2022
European Ombudsman ruled Commission's handling of text message requests was "maladministration"
October 2022
European Public Prosecutor's Office opened criminal investigation into vaccine contract negotiations
July 2024
Narrowly re-elected for second term as Commission President despite ongoing investigations