Ursula von der Leyen, officially registered in race for EPP's candidate for EC president

The Political Assembly of the European People's Party in Bucharest validated on Tuesday evening the registration of Ursula von der Leyen in the competition for the nomination of the EPP candidate for president of the European Commission, EPP Vice President Siegfried Muresan announced in a press release.

"It is official: we have just accepted, in the Political Assembly of the European People's Party in Bucharest, the inclusion of Ursula von der Leyen in the competition for the election of the EPP candidate for president of the European Commission. Her candidacy will be put to the EPP Congress vote on Thursday, 7 March, at 10.00 a.m.," Muresan announced.

Current President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen is the only candidate in the race for the nomination of the European People's Party's candidate for the presidency of the EU executive until the deadline for nominations on Wednesday 21 February.

EPP President Manfred Weber has received a letter nominating Ursula von der Leyen from the German party Christlich Demokratische Union (CDU). The necessary support from two EPP member parties has been provided by Poland's Platforma Obywatelska (PO) and Greece's Nea Demokratia (ND), who have signed a joint letter to this effect, according to an EPP press release.

According to the internal procedure, the nomination had to be evaluated and validated by the EPP Political Assembly on 5 March and then submitted to vote on 7 March, on the last day of the EPP Congress in Bucharest.