Evaluating the discourse used by the President of the European Commission during the Covid-19 pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic created a series of challenges to the European Union and its dynamic. With the European Union still recovering from the effects of the Financial Crisis and the Syrian Migration Crisis, this public health crisis had the potential to further destabilise the European project. After the 2019 European Elections, officials, including the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, had hoped for a period of tranquillity in which they could consolidate their agendas. For Ursula von der Leyen, this was especially important after the European Council did not take into account the spitzenkandidaten and chose an outsider for the Presidency of the Commission, thus raising the ire of the European Parliament. Covid-19 was the first challenge for the new Commission. Its immediate response was criticised by various countries including Italy and Spain. They argued that the EU failed to act immediately to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in Europe and, later, failed, to show solidarity to those countries in need. This paper will evaluate the main speeches of the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen as she sought to defend the work of the Commission in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. It will outline how Ursula von der Leyen used her speeches to promote European unity at a time when states failed to provide support and solidarity to those countries struggling with the pandemic. In addition, her speeches will be scrutinised to understand the policies being introduced by the Commission to safeguard European citizens as the pandemic spread throughout Europe and to safeguard the European economies which had come under intense pressure due to the various lockdowns which were being introduced within the political bloc.