European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has accused far-right parties of wanting to "ruin" Europe. She made this statement during the final

campaign rally of her conservative CDU-CSU party bloc in Munich. Von der Leyen is seeking a second term at the helm of the Commission.

"Today's Europe is a great gift," von der Leyen declared at the event, held ahead of the EU elections scheduled from 6 to 9 June across the EU. She emphasized the importance of not taking the European Union for granted, warning that the EU is "being challenged like never before by populists, extremists, and demagogues," specifically naming Marine Le Pen in France and the AfD party in Germany. "These extremists have one thing in common: they want to weaken, destroy, and ruin our Europe," she stated, vowing that she would "never allow that to happen."

Addressing the Russian threat, von der Leyen called for a stronger common defense policy. “If we want to safeguard peace on our continent, we should not hesitate,” she said, stressing the need for Europe to invest more in its defense and defense industry. “We want a Europe that can defend itself,” she added.

Von der Leyen is also advocating for a consistent European migration policy and enhanced climate protection measures.

Polls indicate that the CDU and CSU sister parties are poised to win the European elections in Germany by a significant margin. Von der Leyen, who has led the European Commission since 2019, is widely regarded as the frontrunner for a second term. However, diplomats caution that her bid could face challenges. Photo by  © European Union, 2024, Wikimedia commons.