"Krone" commentary

Always the same Leyen

Christian Baha is a stock market expert and founded Austria's first stock exchange terminal in 1993, which delivers data in real time. In 1996, he established the world's first hedge fund for private investors. Baha has always pursued the vision of making funds for wealthy individuals accessible to smaller investors.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/stock.adobe.com)

So now we have the "Uschi principle" at the head of the EU for another five years. The 2004 bestseller of the same name reveals that "Uschis seem to succeed effortlessly in making men dance to their tune".

How well Ursula von der Leyen fits into this picture was demonstrated in Brussels. Although she is considered one of the most unpopular politicians in Europe, she pulled off her re-election with a bang. Beforehand, the old and new head of the EU Commission had chosen a special opponent to raise her profile.

Von der Leyen denigrated the peace mission of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, currently President of the EU Council, as an appeasement trip, thus exposing him to ridicule. Orban, currently Europe's most successful politician, has held a two-thirds majority for ten years and is visiting the world's most powerful presidents, including Donald Trump, in order to bring peace to Ukraine as soon as possible.

This has apparently offended the EU Commission President's vanity: she promptly called for an undemocratic boycott of the Hungarian EU Council Presidency. BK Nehammer demonstrated democratic steadfastness when he instructed his ministers not to follow this boycott. In fact, Austria is supporting Orban as a man of action as a counterweight to von der Leyen as a self-promoting woman of words.