Von der Leyen elected first woman EU Commission President

World Wednesday 17/July/2019 17:52 PM
By: Times News Service
Von der Leyen elected first woman EU Commission President

Vienna: Germany's outgoing Minister of Defence Ursula von der Leyen was chosen by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to succeed Jean-Claude Juncker as President of the European Commission.

Von der Leyen is the first woman to be elected to the post.

Speaking after being named president-elect, she stated, "The trust you placed in me is confidence you placed in Europe. Your confidence in a united and strong Europe from East to West, from South to North."

A member of Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Von Der Leyen was born in Brussels in 1958. She is a licensed doctor and served in Germany's parliament from 2005-2019, according to the European Commission.

The mother of seven held a number senior cabinet posts and was the first woman in her country to lead the ministry of defence.