Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen (born October 8, 1958, in Brussels, Belgium) is a German physician and politician serving as President of the European Commission since December 1, 2019, becoming the first woman to hold this office. She previously served as Germany's Minister of Defense (2013-2019) and held cabinet positions in family, labour, and social affairs under Chancellor Angela Merkel. Re-elected in July 2024 with 401 votes for a second term until 2029, Forbes named her the world's most powerful woman in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. ​ Relationship with Portugal:

Von der Leyen approved Portugal's Recovery and Resilience Plan in June 2021—the first among 27 EU member states—worth €16.6 billion to "profoundly transform the economy". In a 2025 tribute to Portugal's 40 years in the EU, she declared "Your Fado, your destiny, is right here at the heart of Europe," praising Portugal's renewable energy leadership, infrastructure transformation, and ocean protection. She highlighted Portugal's potential in lithium processing and AI startups while advocating for removing obstacles to economic growth. She also promoted energy interconnections like the Bay of Biscay project linking France-Spain, addressing Iberian energy isolation.