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Her well-documented obsession with message control is out of control.
News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen [Thierry Monasse/Getty Images]
The revelation on Friday afternoon that Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was hospitalised for the past week with pneumonia has raised more questions than answers.
Among them:
Why wasn’t the public informed?
Who in the Commission and the other institutions knew the severity of her condition and when did they know it?
Why did the Commission obfuscate when directly asked on Wednesday whether she had been hospitalised? Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho insisted there was “no update,” Politico reported.
No update? The most important figure in the European Union was admitted to the hospital with a life-threatening condition – which pneumonia is, by definition – and the Commission had nothing to say?
There might not be an obscure EU acronym for that kind of response, but here in the real world, it’s known as lying by omission.
To be clear, we wish von der Leyen a speedy recovery. Yet her well-documented obsession with message control is out of control.
Europeans deserve full transparency about the health of the EU’s leadership, a standard customary in any functioning national government.
The disregard of von der Leyen and her staff for that principle betrays not just poor judgement but outright arrogance.
The Round-up
Syria: Some EU countries remain hesitant about the new government, European foreign ministers are ready to consider lifting sanctions if Damascus’ leaders promise to behave.
Climate: 2024 was the warmest year on record since 1850 and the first where average global temperature exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
Tech: EU capitals, national leaders, and European Parliament political groups are ramping up pressure on the European Commission to enforce the European Digital Services Act, against Meta and X.
Energy: Natural gas prices at Dutch benchmark TTF dropped to just over €43 per MWh, down 10% from their 2025 peak, despite a projected increased in heating demand due to colder weather.
Across Europe
Germany: The Musk-Weidel debate had no technical glitches – which is the most charitable thing one can say about the bizarre political theatre staged Thursday evening on X with the leader of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany.
Serbia: Belgrade has cancelled contracts for Russian weapons that have supplied its army since Soviet times, said Chief of General Staff Milan Mojsilović, without specifying whether the country was cutting ties with Russia.
Slovakia: Pro-Western opposition leaders expressed concern over the pro-Russian foreign policy of Robert Fico’s government, saying that firm alignment with the EU and NATO is the only way to ensure the country’s freedom, security and prosperity.
Spain: The government has set a 10-day deadline to find a temporary solution for unaccompanied minors in overcrowded migrant reception centres in the Canary Islands.
[Edited by Owen Morgan/Chris Powers]
Updated: 10-01-2025
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