Von der Leyen’s marketing campaign spokesperson can be Alexander Winterstein, at present a senior civil servant within the Fee’s communications directorate-general — a pointy transition into celebration politics that would elevate some eyebrows.
Winterstein was promoted to his current position within the EU govt from an earlier place on the directorate-general for competitors coverage when the center-right European Individuals’s Get together gathered in Bucharest to endorse von der Leyen for a second time period. The timing of that transfer provoked questions by journalists at a Fee press convention on Friday.
Fee spokesperson Eric Mamer mentioned that the inner process beneath which Winterstein was promoted was “completely regular.” He added that — “hand on coronary heart” — Winterstein has not but completed any work on the EPP’s marketing campaign to get von der Leyen one other five-year time period.
“I’m clearly working on the Fee at this second so I can not say something as a result of Fee officers don’t communicate to journalists. I can solely refer you to what Eric mentioned,” Winterstein mentioned.
Seibert and Winterstein will take unpaid depart from their positions on the Fee and return to these jobs after the election on June 10.
Nonetheless, as von der Leyen just isn’t working for a seat within the European Parliament, and the maneuvering for the Fee prime seat can take some extra time, her actual marketing campaign to proceed in her position will nonetheless de facto be working then, presumably for a number of months. Because of this the pair’s self-extrication from the Fee is prone to solely cowl a few of von der Leyen’s marketing campaign interval.