Origins & Early Life

Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen (née Albrecht; born 8 October 1958) is a German politician and physician who has served as President of the European Commission since 2019. She served in the German federal government between 2005 and 2019, holding positions in Angela Merkel's cabinet, most recently as Federal Minister for Defence. She is a member of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its affiliated European political party, the European People's Party (EPP). On 7 March 2024, the EPP elected her as its Spitzenkandidat to lead the campaign for the 2024 European Parliament elections.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

She was re-elected to head the Commission in July 2024. Von der Leyen was born and raised in Brussels, Belgium, to German parents. Her father, Ernst Albrecht, was one of the first European civil servants. She was brought up bilingually in German and French, and moved to Germany in 1971 when her father became involved in German politics. She graduated from the London School of Economics in 1978, and in 1987, she acquired her medical licence from Hanover Medical School.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

After marrying fellow physician Heiko von der Leyen, she lived for four years in the United States with her family in the 1990s...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Ahmed Zaki (actor) — Historical peer (Died in 2005) (2005): Iconic Egyptian actor celebrated for intense dramatic performances.
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