European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has been accused of excessive centralization of power
Dissatisfaction is growing within the European Union over the management style of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Some European officials believe that she is overly centralizing decision-making and limiting the involvement of even her own team.
This is reported by Bloomberg.
According to the publication’s sources, von der Leyen is increasingly relying on a limited circle of close advisors.
This, as noted, creates problems for the European Commission’s work and slows down the implementation of key economic initiatives, in particular, strengthening the EU single market and enhancing the European Union’s competitiveness.
Dissatisfaction with this approach has been building for years, but it has intensified recently.
According to Bloomberg, representatives of Germany’s CDU have reportedly called for limiting the European Commission’s powers, while tech company executives complain that Brussels is too slow in making decisions regarding business regulation.
Sources also report that some European Commissioners feel sidelined from key decisions, which, they say, are effectively concentrated in the hands of von der Leyen and her team.
Her style is described as highly controlled and centralized, which, according to critics, leads to delays in the institution’s work.
Examples cited include the strategy for completing the EU’s internal market, which had been in the works since November but was not presented until late April, and work on the EU’s long-term budget, regarding which member states complained of a lack of proper consultation.
Von der Leyen’s supporters believe that her tough management style, on the contrary, has helped strengthen the EU’s role on the international stage.
Ursula von der Leyen has led the European Commission since 2019 and was re-elected for a second term in 2024. Earlier, media reports also surfaced alleging sharp criticism of her by certain European politicians in private conversations.
On the eve of the event, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Hungary’s new Prime Minister Péter Magyar on taking office. She expressed the EU’s support and readiness to work together with the new government. The statement was made on Europe Day following the swearing-in of the new government in Budapest.
The head of the European Commission called on the U.S. to adhere to the current trade agreement and not to unilaterally change tariff rates. She emphasized the need to maintain common rules and reliability in relations between partners.
