In the year leading into 2026, Ursula von der Leyen stood out as one of the most consequential political leaders shaping Europe’s direction in security, unity, and global influence. As President of the European Commission, she was widely associated with three headline-impact areas that likely drove her inclusion and cover selection:

1) Driving Europe’s biggest defense pivot in decades (“ReArm Europe”)

In early 2025, von der Leyen put forward the “ReArm Europe” initiative—an EU-level framework designed to unlock up to €800 billion in defense-related spending and financing, including €150 billion in EU-backed loans, alongside more fiscal flexibility for member states. The plan was explicitly framed as a response to heightened security threats and the need for Europe to strengthen its own defense capacity while sustaining support for Ukraine.

2) Sustained, structured support for Ukraine through long-horizon EU funding

Beyond emergency packages, the EU moved toward predictable, multi-year assistance architecture via the Ukraine Facility (up to €50 billion for 2024–2027)—a flagship instrument designed to support Ukraine’s recovery, reconstruction, and modernization. As Commission President, von der Leyen has been the most visible political face of this approach in EU messaging and international advocacy.

3) Recognition for “European unity” leadership at the highest symbolic level

In 2025, von der Leyen received the International Charlemagne Prize, one of Europe’s most prominent awards tied to European integration and unity—explicitly citing her role in steering the EU through overlapping geopolitical and internal challenges. That kind of recognition strongly reinforces the “global leadership” narrative that magazines tend to spotlight on a cover.

4) Continued global ranking as a top power figure
She also remained highly placed in major international “power” rankings—most notably appearing at/near the top of Forbes’ list of the World’s Most Powerful Women (2025 edition). This provides a mainstream, third-party validation signal that lifestyle/business leadership magazines often reference when curating cover figures.

“European independence” as the core theme — She argued Europe must accelerate independence “from security to economy, from defence to democracy,” framing it as adaptation to a permanently changed world.

Open Europe, not isolation — She positioned Europe’s strategy as choosing “partnership over isolation” and “fair trade over tariffs,” while still “de-risking” the economy.

Trade agenda as proof of momentum — She cited the EU’s deal with Mercosur and pointed to more deals in the pipeline (including with India and others) to show Europe is aligning with growth centres globally.

A tougher line on economic coercion/tariffs — She warned that tariff escalation between allies is self-defeating (“a deal is a deal”), and said the EU response would be “unflinching, united and proportional.”

Arctic security package — She announced work on an EU package to bolster Arctic security, emphasizing that Arctic stability requires allied cooperation.

Support for Greenland and sovereignty red lines — She called the sovereignty/territorial integrity of Denmark and Greenland “non-negotiable” amid U.S. pressure, and linked this to European strategic security interests.

Investment + capabilities (icebreakers, equipment) — She flagged a “massive European investment surge” for Greenland’s economy/infrastructure and mentioned potential capability development like European icebreakers and other Arctic-relevant equipment.

Competitiveness + scaling innovation — She outlined initiatives (ongoing/upcoming) to make the EU more attractive for investors, better at scaling companies, and faster at adopting disruptive technologies—tying economic strength to strategic autonomy.