Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s spokesperson said she is “recovering well” from “severe pneumonia.”
The EU Commission has upheld its reporting regarding von der Leyen’s health status. It pushed back against the objection that it held back details from the public and noted that her “ability to act was never in question.” Von der Leyen’s Chief Spokesperson Paula Pinho, talking on EU News Radio today, said,
The President expects to resume her external appointments by the end of this week.
It will include following the World Economic Forum in Davos next week and the following plenary session of the EU Parliament in Strasbourg. The representative upheld the Commission’s handling of information concerning von der Leyen’s condition.
We, therefore, gave you the crucial information regarding the health situation of the president by stating what sickness she had and how severe it was, and we explained that the president was in a position to keep business operating by keeping daily in touch with the team and with the leaders if required, so her ability to function was never in question.
How did pneumonia impact Von der Leyen’s appointments?
It came to light that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had herself hospitalized for treatment and was taken home and continued her work from there. As reported, on 3 January 2025, she was diagnosed with severe pneumonia that canceled most of her appointments during the first half of the month and postponed her trip to Poland.
She said that even while she was hospitalized, she would stay in contact with her team daily. The European Commission has been criticized for not being transparent enough about information on her health, as it was not communicated in time. A Commission spokesperson said that von der Leyen is recovering well and added that she was never in intensive care during her hospitalization.
