Ursula von der Leyen: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing » The American Spectator | USA News and PoliticsThe American Spectator

There is some truth in the message of Henry Kissinger’s famous remark “Who do I call if I want to call Europe?” It is not just about the indeterminacy of foreign policy in Europe ( the “coalition of the willing” etc.) and its apparent divisions. It is also relevant within Europe, within the European Union, and the role of its President, Ursula von der Leyen.

This week the EU’s highest court (European Court of Justice) has demanded that communications between von der Leyen and a pharmaceutical chief at Pfizer should be made public. They were blocked by the European Commission back in 2022 when a New York Times journalist sought to access them under a freedom of information protocol. Two tier Europe.

The problem for von der Leyen, now in her second term, is that this is not, unfortunately, a one off. Two tier von der Leyen has been accused of a “lack of transparency” in many of her roles going back to her work at the German Defence Industry. Her legacy is under scrutiny and the latest scandal, if it reveals dishonesty, could mean a burgeoning European debacle in the midst of the need for unity.

Democracy in Europe is under siege. von der Leyen, is on a mission to hunt it down and kill it. In September 2022, in Lower Saxony, Germany a little Pony, called Dolly, was killed by a wolf, known now as GW950m. Unfortunately for the Wolf population of Europe, who have survived despite their near extinction in the twentieth century, little Dolly was owned by the President of the EU Commission, von der Leyen, whose tumbling ranch sits near the village of Beinhorn, Saxony.

Then began a hunt for the killer, with no expense spared, and the gathering of forensic evidence, DNA samples taken on other “victims.” You would think a Jeffrey Dahmer was on the loose. GW950m has been labelled by the EU Commission as a “problem wolf.” His problematic status has not been communicated to him or his pack, having not received the “directive.”

Due to incessant pressure from von der Leyen, a hunting permit to kill the naughty wolf was issued. Then in December, the previously protected status of wolves received a shock. The Commission declared that their status from “strictly protected” will be reduced to “protected.” It is now envisaged that a Europe-wide culling of Wolves will occur. In many ways it is an allegory of Democracy; at first nourished and encouraged, like the Wolves, and then prone to the elite manipulation of power. Only 50 percent of Europe’s citizens vote in EU elections. Yet one woman with petty revenge on her mind, is allowed to usurp democracy and pressure elected representatives to change laws. It illustrates the elite and technocratic takeover of Democracy.

Von der Leyen has a history of cancel culture. When Italian citizens of Italy voted in the populist/far right/hard right leader Meloni, von der Leyen declared that they would exact revenge through cancelling Italy’s 7.5 billion budget from the EU.

“If things go in a difficult direction, I’ve spoken about Hungary and Poland, we have tools,” said von der Leyen. Matteo Salvini, a part of Meloni’s Conservative Alliance, remarked that it showed “shameful arrogance.”

Not only is von der Leyen anathema to democracy, her previous career is tantamount to one of the reasons for Europe’s short-sighted defense policy. It was her position as Head of the German Defence Ministry that attracted critics, with widespread claims of corruption and the collapse of the Bundeswehr as an effective force. Politico reported that:

In addition to problems surrounding the German military’s readiness, von der Leyen’s ministry also faces an investigation into suspected wrongdoing surrounding its use of outside consultants, including Accenture and McKinsey. The Bundestag, the German parliament, is currently holding hearings into the affair, including accusations that von der Leyen’s office circumvented public procurement rules in granting contracts worth millions of euros to the firms. Those hearings have taken a dramatic turn in recent days as testimony from key witnesses appeared to confirm suspicions of systematic corruption at the ministry.

In 2015 , even before the procurement scandal began, plagiarism in her medical degree came to light. Although she managed to avoid having the degree rescinded, doubts about her had surfaced. In many ways, her move to head of the EU Commission in Brussels was to take the heat off her in Berlin, with Germany being the “de facto” leader of the EU.

The upshot of this is twofold. One is that it raises serious questions as to why von der Leyen could head such a huge organization as the EU. Secondly recent events within Europe’s political class indicates their antipathy to any real democratic participation. The nomenklatura of Europe resembles the court of the Medicis; dispensing grants, funds and positions to friends and contacts. Whilst the Russian wolf is at the fence of Europe, the political class offers the society of the spectacle:  environmental policies, elections without voters, and an endless round of photo ops for the media.

The ECJ this week annulled the European Commission’s decision to withhold the documents. Even so the commission is doubling down. In an affront of Putinesque opaqueness, the commission says it will “closely study” the ruling. In fact it plans to shift the goal posts: they will “adopt a new decision (on the FOI) providing a more detailed explanation.” The text message chats (always use “Signal” folks) between von der Leyen and Pfizer’s chief executive, Albert Bourla, revolve around the prices/fees paid in the EU procurement of 1.8 bn of jabs. It transpires that the EU paid 19.50 Euros rather than the apparent 15.50 Euro price.

Will EU Protect von der Leyen?

Even though the European Ombudsman found the EU Commission “guilty of maladministration,” something is rotten in the state of Europe. On Wednesday the Court said that the EU Commission had “not sufficiently clarified” if the messages had been deleted or not ?! Or if the President’s phone had been replaced or not. It’s a murky miasma of deceit.

The EU talks about the implementation of “the rule of law,” but this does not apply to the President of the EU Commission. Two tier Europe abounds. The lack of transparency goes right to the top of this organization of appointed representatives and self-declared bureaucrats. It casts real doubt on the purpose and cost of the EU. Turnout to European Elections is disturbingly low ( less than 50 percent). The Chairman of the EU Commission is not elected. The ERU council “nominates” a candidate with a qualified majority (50 percent of MEPs). On an international scale, it gives credence to JD Vance’s criticisms of European democracy.

Just when the EU needs to present a professional, unified front, and defend itself to external (and internal) threats, we have an organization which works in a labyrinthine clouded panopticon of “Democracy.”

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Brian Patrick Bolger LSE, University of Liverpool. He has taught political philosophy and applied linguistics in universities across Europe. His articles have appeared in leading magazines and journals worldwide in the US, the UK, Italy, Canada, etc .His new book- Nowhere Fast: Democracy and Identity in the Twenty First Century is published now by Ethics International Press. He is an adviser to several Think Tanks and Corporates on Geopolitical Issues.