How Ursula the ‘soloist’ could break Boris’s Brexit dream
How Ursula the ‘soloist’ could break Boris’s Brexit dream: German mother-of-seven who is new EU chief wants a ‘United States of Europe’ and blasted Johnson for ‘hollow promises’ in scathing interview
- Ursula von der Leyen set to be first woman to lead the European Commission
- German defence minister will take over at the end of the year – if MEPs agree
- Mrs von der Leyen has been a vocal critic of Brexit: ‘Brexit is a loss for everyone’
- She has also taken aim at the ‘populists’ who led 2016 Vote Leave campaign
- Ally of Angela Merkel said in 2011 her goal was a ‘United States of Europe’
- Meanwhile, Belgian PM Charles Michel set to take over from Donald Tusk
- Next European Council president also a vocal critic of Brexit and Mr Johnson
- Chances of EU shifting on Brexit deal appear slim based on new leaders’ views
Boris Johnson’s chances of securing a better Brexit deal from the EU took a major hit last night as European leaders chose two critics of the Tory leadership favourite to replace Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk.
Mr Johnson has vowed to renegotiate better terms of divorce for the United Kingdom if he is chosen to succeed Theresa May in Downing Street.
But the decision to select German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen as president of the European Commission and Belgian PM Charles Michel as president of the European Council represent a potential hammer blow to his hopes.
Mrs von der Leyen’s appointment still has to be signed off by MEPs, but assuming she takes up the roles, the next occupant of Number 10 will be pouring over her previous remarks on Brexit – and they are unlikely to make for positive reading.
The surprise eleventh-hour choice for the biggest job in Brussels previously took aim at Mr Johnson and the other leaders of the 2016 Vote Leave campaign.
She claimed Brexit amounted to a ‘burst bubble of hollow promises’ which had been ‘inflated by populists’.
‘They had promised that Britain would benefit from Brexit,’ she said, according to The Guardian.
‘The fact is today that Brexit is a loss for everyone.’
Mrs von der Leyen is a divisive figure in Germany where her stewardship of the nation’s armed forces, a ministerial role she has held since 2014, has prompted criticism.
She was reportedly once given the nickname ‘The Soloist’ because of an apparent tendency to act unilaterally.
Critics have claimed her oversight of the German military has been ‘totally irresponsible’ and her tenure had been a failure amid concerns over insufficient personnel numbers and a lack of equipment.
She has also come under fire for a decision by the German navy to overhaul a historic tall ship – the Gorch Fock – after costs spiralled out of control at a time when the defence budget was being stretched.
Martin Schulz, a German political opponent of Ms von der Leyen and former European Parliament president, mocked her appointment as he described her as ‘our weakest minister’.
Her appointment is also likely to spook European politicians who are opposed to the principle of ‘ever closer union’ given the fact she has previously argued in favour of much closer ties between member states.
Speaking in 2012 she said: ‘My goal is the United States of Europe – on the model of the federal states Switzerland, Germany or USA.’
German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen (left) would be the first ever woman to lead the European Commission taking over from current President Jean-Claude Juncker (right) if her nomination is approved by the EU Parliament
Ursula von der Leyen’s name entered the frame for the top job in Brussels late in the day after previous suggested replacements for Jean-Claude Juncker failed to gather enough support among the leaders of EU member states
Mrs von der Leyen has served as Germany’s defence minister since 2014 and she is a leading ally of Angela Merkel
The mother of seven, pictured with her family in 2005, has proved to be a divisive figure during her time overseeing Germany’s armed forces with critics suggesting her tenure had been a failure
Mrs von der Leyen, pictured meeting Boris Johnson in 2016 at a dinner in Bahrain, has been a vocal critic of Brexit, describing it as a ‘loss for everyone’
The appointment of Mrs von der Leyen and Charles Michel to the two top jobs in Brussels represents a potential headache for Mr Johnson, pictured today on the campaign trail in Reading, given both of their views on Brexit
Meanwhile, Mr Michel, who is currently the caretaker prime minister of Belgium after he was forced out in December, said in July 2016 that Mr Johnson lacked ‘the courage to lead’ the UK out of the Brexit ‘black hole’ which he was largely responsible for.
Mr Michel said at the time that the UK was in a ‘very negative situation’ and that even though the UK was a ‘friend’ he would not accept the EU ‘having to pay the bill’ for Brexit.
The Financial Times reported he said: ‘I’m only 40 years old but it’s the first time in my life that I’ve seen a democracy in a situation like this . . . [after] this decision there is de facto a form of black hole. What comes next? They have not even the courage to lead and say, it’s this direction.’
He was particularly critical of the former mayor of London who he accused of leaving ‘the floor’ after the Brexit referendum and leaving it to others ‘to explain what we have to do’.
Mr Tusk and Mr Juncker have both repeatedly stressed that the current Brexit divorce deal cannot be renegotiated and that the crucial issue of the Irish border backstop cannot be removed from the existing agreement.
The German defence minister, pictured during a showjumping competition in June this year, has previously been dubbed ‘The Soloist’ because of an apparent predilection for making decisions on her own
Mrs von der Leyen is expected to start her new job in November which means she could take over running the European Commission in the immediate aftermath of a No Deal Brexit
Mrs von der Leyen, pictured with her family, has faced criticism over her oversight of a decision by the German Navy to overhaul an historic tall ship after costs spiralled
Mr Michel has been of the same view. He said in February this year: ‘The backstop is not a detail, both for guaranteeing peace in Ireland and for the integrity of the domestic market, its capacity for economic development, employment and investment.
‘A good deal is on the table, but the British parliament is trying to take us toward a bad deal.
‘The British parliament’s demands on the backstop would weaken the economic development of Europe, a risk for our businesses and our jobs.’
Mrs von der Leyen will be the first ever female boss of the European Commission if her appointment is rubberstamped by the European Parliament.
The 60-year-old mother-of-seven has been part of Angela Merkel’s Conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) party since 2005 and her selection was backed by Ms Merkel.
Mrs Merkel said the nomination of a woman to the top job was a ‘good sign’.
Meanwhile, International Monetary Fund chairwoman Christine Lagarde got the nomination for the next President of the European Central Bank, in an ‘important statement on gender equality’ while Spain’s socialist foreign minister Josep Borrell has been chosen as chief of EU Foreign Policy.
International Monetary Fund chairwoman Christine Lagarde (pictured) has been nominated to become the next President of the European Central Bank, in an ‘important statement on gender equality’
The four nominations came after three days of arduous negotiations between the 28 EU nations.
The presidency of the European Parliament is yet to be decided and will be voted on when the body sits in Strasbourg tomorrow.
Those who land the top four jobs will play a key role in negotiating the UK’s future relationship with the EU with the next prime minister.
They will be responsible for deciding whether to budge on the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement – something which both Mr Johnson and Jeremy Hunt have said they will seek.
Belgium’s liberal Prime Minister Charles Michel (left) is set to take over from Donald Tusk (right) as President of the European Council
Spain’s socialist foreign minister Josep Borrell has been chosen as Chief of EU Foreign Policy
Mr Borrell is expected to take over from incumbent Federica Mogherini
Frenchwoman Ms Lagarde would also be the first woman elected to her new post, which she would serve in for eight years if successful.
She has decided to suspend her duties as managing director of the IMF until the results have been confirmed.
Ms Lagarde will take over from Mario Draghi, who is term in office has been largely plagued by the aftermath of the financial crisis.
Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar commented on the positive steps being made toward gender equality with the Union.
He told reporters: ‘That’s a very important statement that Europe leads on gender equality.
‘It might have taken three days, but it’s a good outcome overall.’
Current European Central Bank President Mario Draghi (pictured) has had his time in office plagued by the aftermath of the financial crisis. He could be replaced by Christine Lagarde
The nominations came after one of the longest summits in recent years, outstripping even all-night negotiations during the Greek debt crisis.
Already plagued by crises like Brexit and deep divisions among nations over how best to manage migration, the leaders had been keen to show that they could take quick decisions and that the European project remains important to its citizens.
But they struggled to establish a delicate balance between population size and geography – an even mix of countries from the north and south, east and west, and ensure that at least two women were nominated.
Mr Tusk had said he hoped that someone from a central or eastern European member state would be voted in as president of the European Parliament.
Despite deep tensions, some tantrums by leaders behind the scenes and even public criticism of his handling of the summit, Mr Tusk said: ‘Five years ago we needed three months to decide, and still some leaders were against.
‘This year it was three days and nobody was against.’
Who are the new European Union leaders?
By David Churchill, Brussels Correspondent for the Daily Mail
Ursula von der Leyen
Ursula von der Leyen is the daughter of Brussels-born Eurocrat Ernst Albrecht, a senior German politician who worked in the EU Commission in the 1950s.
It meant she spent her early years in the Belgian capital and partly explains her fanatic eurofederalism.
The German defence secretary, who takes over from Jean-Claude Juncker as EU Commission president, has called for a ‘United States of Europe’ with its own army. The mother-of-seven has a medical degree and studied at the London School of Economics as well as Stanford in the US.
The qualified gynaecologist only entered politics in her 40s, but regularly emerges in opinion polls as one of Germany’s most popular politicians.
She has been Angela Merkel’s defence secretary since 2013, but became mired in controversy over the awarding of contracts – for which she was eventually exonerated – and has faced criticism about gaps in military readiness.
She was once seen as a potential replacement to German Chancellor Mrs Merkel, but the contracts controversy saw her fade from contention.
The 60-year-old speaks fluent English and French – a crucial qualification for her new role.
Pictured: Ursula von der Leyen is on track to be the first ever female President of the European Commission
Christine Lagarde
Christine Lagarde, the new president of European Central Bank, was accused of stoking ‘Project Fear’ in 2016 when she said Brexit would be ‘pretty bad, to very, very bad’ for the UK.
The remarks, made at a joint press conference with then-Chancellor George Osborne, made her a controversial figure as Britain took the historic decision to leave the EU.
The former French minister, 63, has run the International Monetary Fund since 2011.
She was the first woman to head the Washington-based lender, which rescues countries at risk of economic collapse.
Paris-born Miss Lagarde, who is twice divorced, was also convicted of criminal negligence over a French corruption scandal in 2016 – but was spared punishment and allowed to keep her job.
Miss Lagarde receives a £382,000 tax-free salary at the IMF and an annual allowance of £67,000 to pay for a standard of living appropriate to her position – with no need to justify what this is spent on.
The mother-of-two and her partner, French businessman Xavier Giocanti, are also reimbursed for all travel expenses.
Pictured: Christine Lagarde has been nominated as the next leader of the European Central Bank
Charles Michel
Former Belgian prime minister Charles Michel – the son of a previous European commissioner – has emerged as one of the great defenders of ‘ever closer union’ across the EU.
The arch-eurofederalist will replace Donald Tusk as EU Council president.
He joined a French-speaking liberal party in Belgium aged 16, became an MP at 23 and was the country’s youngest ever minister by 24.
Mr Michel, pictured, also became Belgium’s youngest ever prime minister in 2014, aged 38, despite his party coming third in a general election.
But coalitions are not uncommon in Belgium, and he was later widely praised for his response to the Brussels terror attacks in 2016.
He resigned at the end of last year after a vote of no confidence, effectively lost the resulting general election and has since been Belgium’s interim prime minister.
Like French president Emmanuel Macron, he has played hardball on Brexit and is opposed to lengthy extensions.
The 43-year-old has repeatedly criticised Brexit, once saying: ‘Perhaps during the referendum the impression was given that once the Brexit button was pushed everything would take care of itself easily. Well, that is not true.’
Pictured: Liberal Belgian PM Charles Michel will become the next President of the European Council
Source: Read Full Article