Politico: Von der Leyen faces looming EU economic crisis

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen may be unprepared for an economic crisis looming over the European Union, Politico reports.

The newspaper says the "geopolitical commission" created by von der Leyen lacks the necessary staff to respond to rising public debt and debt-servicing costs in the bloc's leading economies.

Von der Leyen's office still does not have a permanent senior economic adviser, according to Politico. The European Commission says it has enough economists, but critics argue that the key issue is which officials are close to the president when important decisions are made.

Economic risks for the EU are increasing. Germany's debt-servicing costs reached a 15-year high in August, with France and Italy also facing growing pressure.

Politico says the war in Ukraine, the migration crisis and disputes over the EU's new budget have pushed reforms aimed at improving competitiveness into the background.

Von der Leyen previously outlined plans for an "investment commission", but efforts to implement them have faced resistance from member states reluctant to transfer powers to Brussels.

By Aghakazim Guliyev