European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen is concentrating ever-more power in her own hands — and it’s happening in parallel with the European Union’s drift to the right.

Taking on unlimited powers has always been a temptation for European right-wing leaders. A full decade ago, Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orbán began to theorize “illiberal democracy.” He was followed in 2019 by Matteo Salvini, leader of the hard-right Lega, who demanded “full powers” to change Italy.

But when it comes to the president of the European Commission, this tendency looks particularly disastrous, at a time when the future of the EU is hanging in the balance. The bloc’s democratic deficit has not been solved; rather, it is today aggravated by alleged breaches of the rule of law, both in member states and at the EU level itself.