@article{2026:lpez:a_feminist,
title = {A feminist promise? Gender equality in the rhetoric of Ursula von der Leyen},
year = {2026},
note = {The President of the European Commission plays a pivotal role in
setting the agenda of the European Union. This is crucial for gender
equality policy, given its horizontal nature. Gender equality policy
requires coordination across multiple policy areas and navigation of
often unclear competencies. Consequently, strong institutional
leadership is essential to generate political momentum. Political
speeches by the Commission President are a core instrument for setting
the agenda and demonstrating commitment to an issue. Therefore, this
article examines how the current Commission President, Ursula von der
Leyen, framed gender equality policy during her first term in office,
from 2019 to 2024. To understand how von der Leyen depicted gender
equality policy, the article employs theoretical categories derived
from concepts previously utilised by the European Commission. The
analysis of the political speeches reveals a gap between the
institutional ambitions of von der Leyen when she first became
Commission President, as outlined in her initial inauguration speech,
and the gender equality concepts advocated later. Overall, the initial
rhetoric suggested a transformative and inclusive gender equality
agenda, whereas later speeches on policy development tended to endorse
more traditional ideas.},
journal = {Culture, Practice & Europeanization},
pages = {33--55},
author = {López, Alba María Kugelmeier},
volume = {11},
number = {1}
}