‘They want to destroy our Europe’: von der Leyen condemns rise of populism

European Commission chief makes rallying speech after being nominated by her EU grouping for new term as head of executive

Populists, nationalists and demagogues of the far right and left are challenging a peaceful and united Europe like never before, Ursula von der Leyen has declared, as she was endorsed as the sole candidate of the EU’s leading political group, the centre-right European People’s party, to head the the European Commission for another five years.

“They want to trample on our values, and they want to destroy our Europe. And we, the EPP, will never let that happen,” she said at the EPP conference in the Romanian capital, Bucharest.