# European political criticism of Ursula von der Leyen

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/european-political-criticism-of-ursula-von-der-leyen
> Updated: 2026-10-24T08:08:32.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2.

Political figures in Central Europe have leveled criticisms against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen regarding her leadership and EU policy directions.

Former Czech President Václav Klaus criticized von der Leyen following a speech on the state of the European Union, accusing her of lacking self-reflection and exhibiting arrogance. Klaus expressed concern that current political rhetoric mirrors communist-era language and stated that such discourse makes him “fear war for the first time in my adult life.”

In a separate challenge, Slovak MEP Milan Uhrík confronted von der Leyen in Strasbourg regarding proposed funding for Ukraine. Uhrík criticized efforts to secure approximately 70 billion euros for Kyiv, arguing that such expenditures place an undue burden on European citizens already struggling with inflation and energy crises.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-24: Slovak MEP challenges Ursula von der Leyen over Ukraine funding

Slovak MEP Milan Uhrík criticized European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Strasbourg over proposed 70 billion euro funding requests for Ukraine, citing economic pressure on EU citizens.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/slovak-mep-challenges-ursula-von-der-leyen-over-ukraine-funding

### 2026-10-04: Václav Klaus criticizes Ursula von der Leyen

Former Czech President Václav Klaus criticized European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, accusing her of arrogance and using rhetoric reminiscent of the communist era.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/vclav-klaus-criticizes-ursula-von-der-leyen

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Cite as: European political criticism of Ursula von der Leyen. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/european-political-criticism-of-ursula-von-der-leyen