Ursula von der Leyen

Ursula von der Leyen is a leader.

She was born in a city called Brussels. She grew up speaking two ways to talk. She also studied to be a doctor.

Later, she worked in the German government. She helped with many big jobs. She was the first woman to lead the defense group.

Now, she leads the European Commission. This is a very large group of lands. She was chosen to lead again in 2024. She works to help many people in Europe.

Ursula von der Leyen is a leader in Europe.

She was born in Brussels, Belgium, in 1958. She grew up speaking both German and French. Later, she studied to be a doctor. She earned her medical degree in 1991. She also lived in the United States for a few years.

In 2005, she joined the German government. She worked in many important roles. She helped with family and social affairs. From 2013 to 2019, she was the Minister for Defence. She was the first woman to hold this job.

In 2019, she became the President of the European Commission. This is a group that leads many countries. She was the first woman to lead this group. In July 2024, she was elected to lead again.

She is a very powerful leader. Forbes named her the most powerful woman in the world. She works with many world leaders to help Europe.

Ursula von der Leyen is a very important leader in Europe.

She is the President of the European Commission. This group helps many different countries work together. She was the first woman to hold this top job. Because of her work, Forbes named her the most powerful woman in the world in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. She helps guide many big decisions for the continent.

Her life has been full of many different roles.

She was born in Brussels, Belgium, in 1958. She grew up speaking both German and French. In 1978, she studied economics at the London School of Economics. She lived in London for a year under a different name for safety. Later, she became a doctor in 1991. She also lived in the United States for four years in the 1990s.

Before leading Europe, she worked in the German government.

She served in the cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel. From 2005 to 2009, she was the Minister for Family Affairs and Youth. From 2009 to 2013, she was the Minister for Labour and Social Affairs. In 2013, she became the Minister for Defence. She was the first woman to hold that position in Germany.

She has been elected to lead many times.

On July 2, 2019, the European Council proposed her for her current job. The European Parliament elected her on July 16, 2019. She officially took office on December 1, 2019. In July 2024, she was re-elected to lead again. She won with 401 votes out of 720 members. This was about thirty more votes than she received in 2019.

Today, she meets with many world leaders to talk about big things. She works on important tasks like helping different countries stay safe. In 2022, she said her group would work to start a special court for the Russian Federation. She also meets with leaders from the United States and many other places. Even with her busy job, she still loves horses. She lives on a farm near Hanover with her family.

Ursula von der Leyen is a prominent German politician and physician. Since 2019, she has served as the President of the European Commission. The European Commission is the executive branch of the European Union. It plays a central role in managing the organization's daily operations. Von der Leyen was the first woman to hold this high office. Her influence is widely recognized on a global scale. Forbes named her the most powerful woman in the world in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.

Her early life involved significant movement and unique challenges. She was born in 1958 in Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium. She was raised in a bilingual environment, speaking both German and French. In 1971, her family moved to the Hanover region of Germany. This move happened after her father entered German politics. During her studies in 1978, she faced a serious security threat. Because her father was a prominent politician, the Red Army Faction planned to kidnap her. To stay safe, she lived in London under the alias Rose Ladson.

During this time, she studied economics at the London School of Economics.

After returning to Germany, von der Leyen pursued a career in medicine. She attended the Hannover Medical School and earned her medical license in 1987. She specialized in gynaecology and earned her Doctor of Medicine degree in 1991. Her medical career included working as an assistant physician in Hannover. In the 1990s, she lived in Stanford, California, for four years. While there, she was a housewife while her husband taught at Stanford University. She later returned to Germany and taught at the Hannover Medical School. In 2001, she also earned a Master of Public Health degree.

Von der Leyen's political career began in the German Christian Democratic Union (CDU). She became active in local politics in Lower Saxony in 1996. From 2003 to 2005, she served as a minister in the state government of Lower Saxony. She was responsible for social affairs, women, family, and health. In 2005, she joined the federal cabinet under Chancellor Angela Merkel. She first served as the Federal Minister for Family Affairs and Youth until 2009. From 2009 to 2013, she became the Minister for Labour and Social Affairs.

In 2013, she reached a historic milestone in German politics. She was appointed as the Federal Minister for Defence. This made her the first woman to hold this position in Germany. She served in this role until 2019. During her time in the cabinet, she was a key member of the CDU leadership. She served as a deputy leader of the party from 2010 to 2019. Many people viewed her as a leading candidate to succeed Angela Merkel as Chancellor.

British officials even described her as a "star presence" within the NATO community.

Her transition to European leadership was a major political event. On July 2, 2019, the European Council proposed her as the candidate for Commission President. The European Parliament elected her on July 16, 2019. She officially began her term on December 1, 2019. In 2024, she sought a second term in office. On July 18, 2024, the European Parliament re-elected her. She won with an absolute majority of 401 votes out of 720 members. This was approximately thirty votes more than her original election total.

As President, she handles complex international relations and legal matters. In November 2022, she announced plans for an International Criminal Tribunal for the Russian Federation. She frequently meets with world leaders to discuss security and cooperation. These meetings include leaders from the United States, Brazil, and Ukraine. She works to manage the challenges facing the European Union. Beyond her professional life, she is a keen equestrian. She lives on a farm near Hanover with her family, where they keep horses.