Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has announced his support for incumbent European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her bid for a second term.
The PM did so through a tweet on X, where he also cited that his counterpart from Poland, the Prime Minster of Poland Donald Tusk, has nominated her as well.
My friend @donaldtusk and I have the honor to nominate @vonderleyen as the @EPP‘s lead candidate for the Presidency of the European Commission. She is staunchly devoted to the promotion of our common values and the protection of Europe’s unity and solidarity.
She has our trust.— Kyriakos Mitsotakis (@kmitsotakis) February 19, 2024
President Ursula von der Leyen announced her intention to run for a second five-year term as the head of the EC on Monday afternoon, following a meeting of her party in Germany, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Her political group, the center-right European People’s Party (EPP), is expected to affirm her bid in March during a meeting.
The Commission president is appointed at the discretion of EU leaders after taking into account the results of the European elections, meaning the party that comes on top enjoys the unwritten privilege of controlling the executive.