When a national election takes place in one of the European Union's 27 member states, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is careful never to publicly take sides. However, behind the scenes, she knows what to do to help the pro-European camp if necessary, especially in the current period, when nationalist movements are on the rise.

In this context, von der Leyen has done her utmost to ease the campaign for Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, for whom the presidential election, held on May 18 and June 1, is crucial. After having ousted the Law and Justice party (PiS) from government at the end of 2023, Tusk has since been fighting to remove them from the presidency, through which, due to the veto power that comes with the position, the national-populist party still retains significant power. If he fails, he will not have the means to implement the progressive and pro-rule of law policies he aims to implement.

Von der Leyen knows Tusk well, as both hail from the European People's Party (EPP), the leading force in European politics. She even has him to thank for having helped to her secure a second term as European Commission president, after the European elections in June 2024.

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