European Commission President Von der Leyen ill with pneumonia

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has cancelled all travel plans for the next two weeks as she is suffering from a severe case of pneumonia, dpa has learnt.

"The president has cancelled her external appointments for the first two weeks of January," a commission spokesman said upon request.

Among the cancelled appointment is a planned trip to the Polish coastal city of Gdansk on the occasion of Poland assuming the EU Council presidency.

The visit is to be rescheduled for a later date, according to the spokesman.

Von der Leyen, a German conservative politician, is carrying out "official business" from the German central city of Hanover, he said.

"If all goes well, the president will be fully recovered by the middle of the month."

Von der Leyen will then return to work from her office in the commission building in Brussels.

Von der Leyen, 66 has been at the helm of the European Commission, since December 1, 2019.