Ursula Von Der Leyen's diary reveals an unsettling truth for Macron... Analysis by Millie Cooke
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Ursula Von der Leyen's diary reveals an unsettling truth for French President Emmanunuel Macron - and he won't like it.
The European Commission President has taken more than 230 official trips to more than 60 countries in her four and a half years in office, the official register on the Commission website shows.
Ursula Von der Leyen's diary reveals an unsettling truth for Macron - and he won't like it
PA
But unfortunately for Macron, her visits to EU heavyweight nations Gemrnay and France are not evenly spread.
Von der Leyen has taken 33 trips to Germany - more than twice as many as she took to France.
And over the last two years, she had more bilateral meetings with regional German Prime Ministers than she did with Macron.
Germany is Von der Leyen's home country, so it is understandable that the former German defence minister would prioritise trips there.
Johannes Lindner, director of the Jacques Delors Centre think tank, told Euractiv: "One must not underestimate that von der Leyen remains in effect the German Commissioner".
He noted that the frequent visits to Germany reflect that EU commissioners "have a great responsibility of promoting the Commission’s policies in their own member states".
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However, Von der Leyen has a complex relationship with her home country as a result of EU policy.
Her flagship Green Deal has gained her populairty among Germany's left-leaning coalition government, but it has attracted criticism from her own party - the Christian Democratic Union.
Given the party is expected to win a majority at the EU elections in Germany, this could open the EU Commission President up to pressure to drop, or at least scale back, the deal after the election.
But in addition to causing complications for Von der Leyen, her close relationship with Germany could also cause an upset in the Macron camp.
As a leader who prides himself on being somewhat of an EU heavyweight, the discovery that the EU Commission President gives Germany double the amount of attention she does France is unlikely to spark joy.