Ursula von der Leyen has a new doctrine for handling the hard right
The boss of the European Commission embarks on a second term
The harsh winds of political change have howled through the corridors of power in the past year. Consider the nine politicians attending G7 summits—seven leaders of big industrialised countries and two representing institutions of the European Union. In Britain, America and Japan the incumbent politicos have been pushed out of office; Germany’s Olaf Scholz is headed for an electoral drubbing come February. The rest have hardly fared better. Emmanuel Macron called and lost a snap legislative election in France, Canada’s Justin Trudeau is likely to be forcibly retired within a year and Charles Michel will lose his role chairing EU summits on December 1st after hitting term limits. Amid the carnage two women stand out. Giorgia Meloni is still popular, though admittedly she has not faced voters since becoming Italy’s prime minister in 2022. The other, Ursula von der Leyen, stands alone in having secured her place at future G7 confabs until 2029: on November 27th the European Parliament endorsed her for a second five-year term as president of the European Commission.
Explore more
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “The right stuff”
Marine Le Pen spooks the bond markets
She threatens to bring down the French government, but also faces a possible ban from politics
The maths of Europe’s military black hole
It needs to spend to defend, but voters may balk
Ukraine’s warriors brace for a Kremlin surge in the south
Vladimir Putin’s war machine is pushing harder and crushing Ukrainian morale
Vladimir Putin fires a new missile to amplify his nuclear threats
The attack on Ukraine is part of a new era of missile warfare
A rise in antisemitism puts Europe’s liberal values to the test
The return of Europe’s oldest scourge
Once dominant, Germany is now desperate
As an election looms its business model is breaking down