President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has taken another step forward in her quest to serve for another five years in her European top position. Following the deadline for applications, it was reported that no opposing candidate had been nominated, stated Manfred Weber, the party and parliamentary leader of the European People's Party (EPP), the Christian-democratic political family. This means that von der Leyen's official nomination at the party meeting in early March in Bucharest is now just a formality.

The former German minister's candidacy is supported, as customary in such cases, not only by the CDU but also by two other national parties: the Greek New Democracy in Greece and the Polish Civic Platform. Weber pointed out that von der Leyen could also count on support in the Council. After all, currently twelve and possibly even 14 heads of government belong to conservative parties. Von der Leyen reiterated that if she were to be elected for a second term, she would make security and prosperity core issues – and thus stability. In the College of the European Commission, she intends to create the position of a defence commissioner, who will focus on strengthening the defence industry and preparing the EU for conflict situations.