European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is recovering from a severe case of pneumonia but won’t attend the weekly meeting of Commissioners.
ADVERTISEMENTThe president of the European Commission is on the mend and expected to resume in-person appointments soon, amid criticism over lack of communication about her condition over the past week.
Ursula von der Leyen won’t chair this week’s College of Commissioners on Wednesday and has asked executive vp Teresa Ribera to step in, a Commission spokesperson confirmed on Monday, adding that “the president is recovering well”.
Currently recuperating at her residence in Hannover, Germany, Von der Leyen is predicted to resume her external engagements by the tip of this week.
She plans to take part in the World Economic Forum in Davos next week and attend the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg.
Her office announced on January 3 that the president was cancelling all external commitments for the primary two weeks of January as a consequence of “severe pneumonia”.
Pneumonia is a respiratory infection that causes inflammation within the air sacs of 1 or each lungs, often leading to fluid or pus accumulation. Symptoms can include persistent coughing, fever, chills, and difficulty respiratory.
At 66 years old, von der Leyen falls right into a high-risk group for complications from pneumonia.
The president was hospitalised for over per week from 2 January to 10 January but continued to fulfil her duties during her stay. “Her ability to act was never in query,” the spokesperson said.
Running the EU from a hospital bed
The disclosure of von der Leyen’s hospitalisation sparked criticism over the Commission’s handling of communication to most of the people of her health conditions.
Her team only publicly acknowledged her hospitalisation last Friday, resulting in accusations of inadequate transparency.
The Commission spokesperson defended the approach, stating they provided “critical information concerning the president’s health status,” including the severity of her illness – which hinted at her hospitalisation – and her decision to cancel external engagements.
While confirming that von der Leyen had a severe case of pneumonia, the spokesperson clarified that she was never on a respirator or in intensive care.
“The president was within the position, despite being in a hospital, to still run the Commission by being in every day contact [with her team], by taking on the calls she needed to take and by ensuring that business continued to run,” the spokesperson said.
Von der Leyen’s health has since improved, and she or he is predicted to completely resume her official responsibilities shortly.
