A small group of protesters awaits Ursula von der Leyen ahead of a campaign event in Rome. "Free Palestine! Stop genocide!" they are chanting as her car arrives, angry with what they see as von der Leyen's bias toward Israel. 

As president of the European Commission, the European Union (EU) executive, von der Leyen traveled to Tel Aviv in October 2023 to offer the EU's unconditional support for Israel in the war against Hamas. Later, she was criticized by some member states and EU diplomats for allegedly not representing the values of the EU as a whole. 

Inside the building in central Rome, a more friendly crowd welcomes her with applause. The young people who have gathered here, most of them men wearing blue suits, are members or supporters of Forza Italia. 

What does it take to be a strong leader?

Forza Italia is one of the parties that form the center-right alliance in the EU and has chosen von der Leyen as their lead candidate for the European elections in early June. 

In Rome, von der Leyen speaks about her determination to continue working for a stronger and more prosperous Europe. One of the few women in the audience wants to know what it takes for a woman to be a strong leader.

Von der Leyen, a mother of seven children and a grandmother, answers with a smile: "You need to believe in yourself." 

"I was shy," she says. "I had a lot of doubts. Today, I would say I missed opportunities." 

Von der Leyen then discusses the importance of reconciling work and family: "Don't let others judge you! And have a good network of women."

Ursula von der Leyen, the world's most powerful woman? 

Many in the room praise her record as the president of the European Commission, including her successful efforts in procuring vaccines on behalf of the European Union during the coronavirus pandemic or her leadership in the face of Russia's war on Ukraine. 

Von der Leyen has been described by international media as "Europe's crisis manager par excellence" and the world's most powerful woman. She likes to present herself as a safe pair of hands capable of leading the EU in turbulent times. But her campaign for reelection is a difficult balancing act. 

Von der Leyen enjoys campaigning, especially talking to young people, sources on her campaign tell DW. According to them, she wants to engage and convince the youth that Europe has a lot of strength. 

Campaigning at the mercy of political parties

In Rome, however, a planned discussion at a university was canceled because Forza Italia wanted von der Leyen to have a meeting on farmers and Europe's climate goals instead. She is, after all, campaigning at the mercy of the political parties across Europe that support her candidacy. 

For somebody like Ursula von der Leyen, who is not one to improvise and is known for preferring to be in full control, that could occasionally make for a challenging campaign trail. But von der Leyen's main goal is to make sure the parties forming her political family, the center-right European People's Party, will become the strongest force after the European election. 

How to snag the EU's top job

Such an outcome — widely expected — would make von der Leyen the favorite to remain head of the EU executive. But even then, she also needs the backing of the 27 national leaders in the EU and a majority of the new European parliament. 

So, campaigning is tricky for von der Leyen. Her main concern is not to alienate too many people for the time being — at least until she has managed to secure her second term in office.

Edited by: Carla Bleiker