Von der Leyen’s campaign spokesperson will be Alexander Winterstein, currently a senior civil servant in the Commission’s communications directorate-general — a sharp transition into party politics that could raise some eyebrows.
Winterstein was promoted to his present role in the EU executive from an earlier position at the directorate-general for competition policy when the center-right European People’s Party gathered in Bucharest to endorse von der Leyen for a second term. The timing of that move provoked questions by journalists at a Commission press conference on Friday.
Commission spokesperson Eric Mamer said that the internal procedure under which Winterstein was promoted was “totally normal.” He added that — “hand on heart” — Winterstein has not yet done any work on the EPP’s campaign to get von der Leyen another five-year term.
“I’m obviously working at the Commission at this moment so I cannot say anything because Commission officials don’t speak to journalists. I can only refer you to what Eric said,” Winterstein said.
Seibert and Winterstein will take unpaid leave from their positions at the Commission and return to those jobs after the election on June 10.
However, as von der Leyen is not running for a seat in the European Parliament, and the maneuvering for the Commission top seat can take some more time, her real campaign to continue in her role will still de facto be running then, possibly for several months. This means that the pair’s self-extrication from the Commission is likely to only cover some of von der Leyen’s campaign period.
