The European Union’s top official, Ursula von der Leyen, won a second term as president of the EU’s executive branch, settling the bloc’s leadership team for the next five years at a time of political upheaval in Europe and the U.S.
Von der Leyen, a 65-year-old former German defense minister who became the first female president of the European Commission in 2019, has carved out a role as a leading European advocate for Ukraine and a critic of China. She has worked closely with the Biden administration on many issues.
Her new term will start in November as U.S. voters go to the polls to elect a president. Von der Leyen’s team is already working behind the scenes to assess potential tensions with Washington if former president Donald Trump returns to the White House, an outcome that would have profound repercussions for Europe’s security.
