The EU's executive branch denies covering up the health of its president, Ursula von der Leyen

BRUSSELS (AP) – The European Commission denied Monday that it tried to cover up the health condition of its president, Ursula von der Leyen, after the head of the EU's executive branch was hospitalized with severe pneumonia.

Von der Leyen, 66, is the most senior political figure in the EU. In September, he marked the start of his second five-year term as commission president by traveling to Ukraine and then to South America for a major trade conference.

On January 3, the commission said von der Leyen was ill with “severe pneumonia” and that his appointment for the next two weeks had been cancelled. It said his agenda was removed from meetings in Lisbon and Poland, which recently took over the EU presidency.

No details were given on his condition or how he became ill, but German news agency dpa later reported that he had been hospitalized. It has raised questions about transparency in the EU's executive branch.

Asked by reporters why the news of his hospitalization was withheld, commission spokesperson Paula Pinho said: “We said the president has severe pneumonia. We said he was very ill” at his home in the German city of Hannover.

Pinho said the media had been informed that von der Leyen had withdrawn his nomination at the beginning of January but that he had been making important calls, including to Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni, and was able to conduct business.

“Therefore, we have given you critical information about the health condition of the president, according to what disease he has, and how bad it was,” Pinho said in response to several journalists' questions, without explaining why the hospital's information was withheld. “His ability to play has never been questioned.”

Von der Leyen spent eight days in hospital, from June 2-10. Pinho said the president was “recovering well,” and was due to return to Brussels to his office at the commission, where he has a small apartment, at the end of this week.

The former German defense minister often maintains a punishing travel schedule. He will attend a meeting of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, next week and will attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

After taking office in 2019, von der Leyen led the EU's campaign to protect against COVID-19 and has been a major supporter of Ukraine in its war with Russia. As the governments were weak in France and Germany, he tried to take a bigger role in the affairs of 27 countries.