Becoming Madam Europe: Ursula von der Leyen and the European Union in the Age of Trump

The European Union faces a rapidly changing international landscape shaped by security challenges, geopolitical tensions, economic pressures and evolving relationships with global powers. In this lecture, Joyce Mushaben, a leading scholar of German politics, European Union affairs and women’s leadership, examines how Ursula von der Leyen and the European Commission have sought to navigate these challenges. Drawing on von der Leyen’s tenure as European Commission president since 2019 and her second term, which runs through 2029, Mushaben explores the leadership strategies and political dynamics that have shaped von der Leyen’s influence within Europe and on the world stage. The lecture will consider what von der Leyen’s leadership reveals about the European Union’s evolving role in world politics — and the opportunities and challenges ahead for Europe in an increasingly complex global environment.