Von der Leyen cancels Gdansk visit and other engagements as she battles pneumonia

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has been forced to cancel all her travel plans for the next two weeks due to illness.

A spokesperson from the European Commission confirmed that she is suffering from a severe case of pneumonia, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

“The President has cancelled all her external appointments for the next two weeks,” the spokesperson stated. Von der Leyen will remain in her hometown of Hanover, Germany, to recover, and she will continue performing her official duties remotely during this period.

“If everything goes well, the President is expected to fully recover by mid-January,” the spokesperson added.

One of the key engagements affected by her illness was her scheduled visit to Gdansk, where she was due to attend the start of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council alongside the entire European Commission on January 9 and 10. The visit will now be rescheduled for a later date.

Von der Leyen, 66, has led the European Commission since December 2019 and began her new five-year term in 2024. On January 1, Poland took over the rotating presidency of the EU Council, replacing Hungary. The formal event marking the launch of the Polish presidency took place in Warsaw on January 3.

Poland’s presidency of the Council of the EU will run for the first half of 2025, focusing on various key issues for the EU and international diplomacy.

By Tamilla Hasanova