The European Commission under President Ursula von der Leyen, edited by Gabriele Abels, Johanna Kantola, Emanuela Lombardo, and Henriette Müller, provides a much-needed gender analysis of the role of the President of the European Commission (Commission). As an agenda-setter, the Commission President shapes the European Union’s (EU) political priorities, leads the College of Commissioners, and coordinates decision-making between the European Parliament and the Council. Focusing on Ursula von der Leyen’s first term as Commission President (2019–2024), this volume highlights how her appointment as the first woman ever to hold the position represented a milestone with symbolic, political, and structural significance. Her role in advancing and restricting the field of gender equality, as well as shaping structural and policy changes within the Commission, in particular, shows how her leadership has had an impact on the EU.
The volume’s key framework of “critical actorness” provides a lens for analyzing agency within institutional settings. Its added value to existing research on feminist institutionalism lies in theorizing the relationship between actors and the institutional structures within which they operate. Rather than solely emphasizing formal institutional powers, the concept of actorness captures actors’ capacity to shape policy and redefine their roles. Inspired by the literature on gender and political representation, critical actorness helps identify and analyze the actions of individuals who use their agency to initiate or promote progressive change. The concept thus brings together agency, leadership, and institutional context, highlighting how actors can leverage their agency to advance change within, and potentially transform, institutional structures.
The volume is divided into five sections. The first section reviews von der Leyen as a political actor, describing her gender equality program as a “political doctrine” (p. 23) that marked a significant change after years of neglect by previous Presidents. This gender equality commitment is further evidenced by her explicit adoption of intersectionality as a core policy principle. By showing how von der Leyen’s personal narrative connects with her political trajectory, the section also stresses the feminist adage that “the personal is political” (p. 60).
The second section focuses on gender, structure, and leadership within the von der Leyen Commission. It also makes a valuable methodological contribution. Its analysis of speeches and media coverage during crises shows how attention to political rhetoric can help trace shifts in leadership and agenda-setting. The analysis shows how von der Leyen’s ability to identify and act upon “windows of opportunity” (p. 94) enabled her to adapt her agenda and advance her priorities dynamically.
The third section offers a detailed analysis of the von der Leyen Commission’s six policy priorities: the European Green Deal, social and employment policies, digital transformation, migration, foreign policy, and democratic participation. Especially noteworthy is the analysis of the Commission’s geopolitical turn, which offers a timely perspective on gender justice within the EU’s external relations and connects the EU’s commitments to both equality and security.
The fourth section examines the Commission during turbulent times. Tackling both external and internal crises, it takes an even-handed approach, balancing the analysis between geopolitical shocks and internal policy struggles. The fifth section summarizes the volume’s core findings.
In conclusion, the chapters in the volume are of exceptional quality. However, one minor shortcoming is that several chapters blur the distinction between von der Leyen as an individual and the Commission as an institution. They attribute personal responsibilities and outcomes to her that may stem more from institutional dynamics. As a result, it is not always clear whether the developments discussed can be attributed to her individual agency. A more apparent conceptual distinction could have clarified at which analytical level the individual chapters operate within the critical actorness approach.
Yet the volume also has notable strengths. It directly addresses contemporary crises, illustrating the significant effort required to produce a collaborative work on a swiftly changing topic. The contributors continuously adapted their analyses, capturing the changing zeitgeist. As a result, the volume offers a timely contribution to EU politics and leadership. Further, several chapters examine intersectionality seriously, treating it as a key analytical focus rather than a footnote, and critically engage with its application as a new concept in the von der Leyen Commission.
Across the volume, a consistent finding emerges: a Commission President can promote equality in the EU by actively pursuing this goal through agenda-setting, strong political leadership, and effective human resource management. Conversely, when these levers are not used, the outcome reflects not institutional limitations, but a de-prioritization of equality at the highest executive level. Additionally, the volume engages with policy fields that are not typically at the center of feminist research. This considerably increases the volume’s value, as it moves beyond the usual suspects, such as labor market policy and women’s employment, and instead brings less-explored areas into the gender equality discussion, such as foreign policy.
In sum, the volume encourages readers to consider power dynamics and liability within the EU, providing a nuanced view that promotes deeper reflection on the responsibilities of individuals and institutions. This volume will therefore be useful for scholars, policymakers, and feminist activists interested in the concept of critical actorness. The findings are also instructive for analyzing other contexts involving women in political leadership positions.
