European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has formally launched her bid for a second term at the helm of the European Union’s executive, seeking to run as the center-right European People’s Party’s lead candidate in the upcoming EU elections in June. Von der Leyen kicked off her campaign pledging to improve the EU’s defense capabilities, improve its competitiveness and pursue its transition to climate neutrality. And while she does appear to have the necessary political support for another 5 year-term in Brussels, her eventual second spell as Commission President may look markedly different from the first one as the center of gravity of European politics continues to shift further to the right. In this episode of Essential Geopolitics, RANE’s Europe Analyst, Matteo Ilardo explains what this bid means for the short and long-term future of the European Union. 

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