Bloomberg: Von der Leyen obsessed with demonstrating that she’s in charge

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has established a highly centralised leadership structure inside the Berlaymont building in Brussels, where her closest advisers reportedly exercise significant control over the daily operations of the EU’s executive arm,  people familiar with the matter tell Bloomberg.

The president is said to rely heavily on a tight-knit inner circle, sidelining many senior officials and closely managing decision-making processes across the institution. They describe an official obsessed with demonstrating that she’s in charge, an approach that’s alienated many senior officials.

Critics within the Commission argue that this approach has stretched her office’s capacity and reduced focus on key economic priorities.

According to individuals with direct knowledge of her working style, this concentration of authority has contributed to growing frustration within the institution, with some officials describing limited access to major policy decisions.

One EU analyst said the situation reflects both strong central leadership and internal strain.

“Von der Leyen may be the most powerful commission president the EU has ever known,” said Mujtaba Rahman, managing director for Europe at Eurasia Group, and a former UK and EU official. “But we’re seeing an increasing number of mistakes from her small group of trusted but overworked officials and growing and more hostile pushback from EU capitals.”

Inside the Commission, some staff reportedly believe the highly centralised system has created bottlenecks that slow down major policy decisions and weaken internal coordination across departments.

By Sabina Mammadli