EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was not invited to the inauguration of US President Donald Trump on January 20 in Washington. Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho stated in Brussels on Friday, “There was no invitation, and participation was not planned.”
Despite this, the EU Commission aims to establish early contacts with the new US administration, as expressed by Pinho, “We will make an effort to establish contacts with the new government at an early stage.”
It is not uncommon for foreign heads of state to not be invited to the inauguration of a US president. However, Trump has reportedly invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration in Washington.
Von der Leyen was hospitalized for around a week due to a severe lung infection and has since returned home, according to a spokesperson. Meanwhile, the corruption trial against the EU Commission President in Liège, Belgium, related to the procurement of vaccines, continued on Monday – just days after her hospitalization.
In contrast, Michael Ballweg, the founder of the Querdenken movement, might attend Trump’s inauguration. Ballweg stated in an interview with the YouTube channel “Radio Berliner Morgenröte” that he received an invitation from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was nominated by Trump for the position of Health Minister. Kennedy had participated in the Querdenken-organized mass demonstration against government COVID-19 measures on August 29, 2020, and gave a speech at the event. It remains unclear if Ballweg will attend the inauguration, as a court hearing has been scheduled for January 20. Ballweg’s comment on the situation was, “A rogue, who thinks ill of it.