Who is Ursula von der Leyen? President of the European Commission announces trade deal with US; calls it huge

Ursula von der Leyen , the European Commission 's president since 2019, is the first woman to hold the position. She was chosen by national leaders to lead the EU through difficult times, and the European Parliament elected her to a second five-year term. She will serve as the Commission's leader until 2029.

She speaks on behalf of the Commission in meetings of the European Council, G7 and G20 summits, summits with non-EU nations, and significant discussions in the European Parliament and Council.

Why is the EU head in news?

Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump struck a 'good deal' on Sunday to prevent the bloc from being slapped by punishing tariffs, as both leaders praised it.

The stakes were high, with a deadline of August 1st approaching and a $1.9 trillion transatlantic commercial relationship at stake

“Together, the EU and the US are a market of 800 million people. And nearly 44 percent of global GDP . It’s the biggest trade deal ever,” she said in a latest tweet.

The leaders agreed that the 27-country bloc will pay a baseline charge of 15 percent instead of the threatening 30 percent, which will be a relief to many European businesses. However, not everyone will be satisfied with the agreement.

The EU, on the other hand, has promised to invest an additional $600 billion in the US and buy $750 billion worth of American energy. Trump was prepared to increase the 10% duty to 30% if an agreement could not be reached by August 1.