Why is European Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen acting as Europe’s Secretary of State? That’s not her job.
Lawmakers in Brussels are concerned about VDL overstepping. Last week she took a diplomatic trip to Israel and voiced solidarity with victims of the Hamas attacks. She has also endorsed aid and help to evacuate Palestinians. She did not consult with other block members about these positions.
But it is not her job to endorse foreign policy. One diplomat told Politico anonymously that VDL “has increasingly been behaving like a queen” by announcing EU foreign policy around the leaders who are supposed to do that.
She is due for reelection next year. Last year, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation into how the EU acquired Covid-19 vaccines after it came to light that VDL had arranged deals with Prizer through personal and undisclosed text messages.
