Ursula von der Leyen (born 8 October 1958 in Ixelles, Belgium) is the President of the European Commission since 2019, re-elected for a second term in 2024. A long-standing member of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), she previously served as Federal Minister of Defence (2013–2019), Minister of Labour and Social Affairs (2009–2013), and Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (2005–2009). Von der Leyen studied economics at Göttingen and Münster, spent a year at the London School of Economics, before completing a medical degree at Hanover Medical School in 1987. She later earned a doctorate in medicine (1991). Before entering politics, she practiced as a physician and academic assistant. Married to Heiko von der Leyen, she lived in the United States during the 1990s. She is the first woman to serve as President of the European Commission.
