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German FDP faction leader blasts decision to nominate Ursula von der Leyen for second term

Von der Leyen was appointed President of the European Commission at the EU summit in June 2019

BERLIN, February 19. /TASS/. Christian Durr, leader of the parliamentary faction of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), has lashed out at the decision to nominate the current head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen for a second term in office.

The parliamentarian specifically criticized her economic policy. "Having decided to make Ursula von der Leyen the number one candidate, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has unfortunately opted in favor of bureaucracy and against economic vigor," Durr said in Berlin. The FDP, he said, favors less regulation on business.

Von der Leyen said Monday following a CDU board meeting that she would run for a second term. CDU leader Friedrich Merz said the decision to nominate was unanimous. Von der Leyen was appointed President of the European Commission at the EU summit in June 2019. She has held the post since December 1, 2019. The next term of office for the European Commission’s president will be from December 2024 to November 2029.

Earlier, the newspaper Bild wrote that the candidacy of von der Leyen may be officially approved on March 7 at a congress of the conservative European People's Party in Bucharest. Prior to that, Welt am Sonntag reported that NATO had discussed von der Leyen as a candidate for the alliance's secretary general, but German Chancellor Olaf Scholz allegedly came out strongly against it, not least because of her anti-Russian stance.

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