EU's executive branch denies cover up over the health of its president, Ursula von der Leyen

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Commission denied on Monday that it had tried to cover up the state of health of its president, Ursula von der Leyen, after the head of the EU’s executive branch was hospitalized with severe pneumonia.

Von der Leyen, 66, is the EU’s most high-profile political figure. In September, she marked the start of her second five-year term as commission president by traveling to Ukraine and then to South America for a major trade meeting.

On Jan. 3, the commission had said von der Leyen was ill with “severe pneumonia” and that her appointments for the next two weeks had been canceled. It said her agenda was cleared of meetings in Lisbon and in Poland, which has just taken over the EU’s rotating presidency.

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No details were provided about her condition or how she fell ill, but German news agency dpa later reported that she had been admitted to the hospital. It raised questions about transparency at the EU’s powerful executive branch.

Asked by reporters why news of her hospitalization had been withheld, commission spokesperson Paula Pinho said: “We said that the president had severe pneumonia. We said that she was dealing with severe illness” at her home in the German city of Hannover.

Pinho said the media was informed that von der Leyen had canceled her appointments in early January but was taking important phone calls, including with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, and was able to conduct commission business.

“We therefore gave you the critical information about the health status of the president, by saying what sickness she had, and how serious it was,” Pinho said in response to questions from several reporters, without explaining why the hospital details were withheld. “Her ability to act was never in question.”

Von der Leyen spent eight days in the hospital, from June 2-10. Pinho said the president is “recovering well,” and was due to return to Brussels to her office at the commission, where she has a small apartment, at the end of this week.

The former German defense minister usually keeps a punishing travel schedule. She is due to attend a European Parliament session in Strasbourg, France, next week and will travel to the World Economic forum in Davos, Switzerland.

After coming to office in 2019, von der Leyen led the EU drive to secure COVID-19 vaccines and has been a major supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russia. With governments weakened in France and Germany, she has sought to play a greater role in the 27-nation bloc’s affairs.