“It happened because I am a woman,” Mrs von der Leyen said at the time.
EU leaders will meet for the first time on June 17 to discuss the fall-out from the European parliamentary elections, which resulted in hard-Right gains across the bloc, most notably in France and Germany.
They will also start looking at nominations for the EU’s three presidents – Council, Commission and Parliament – and its de facto foreign minister.
Mrs von der Leyen is favourite to retain her position, while Antonio Costa, Portugal’s scandal-hit prime minister, is expected to become the council’s president.
Kaja Kallas, the Estonian prime minister, has signalled that she wants to become the bloc’s High Representative, the bloc’s top foreign diplomat.
And Roberta Metsola looks set to keep her job as the European Parliament’s president.