EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen storms out of European Parliament during critical speech

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen caused a scandal in the European Parliament by abruptly leaving the plenary hall during a critical speech by Slovak MEP Milan Uhrík. The incident occurred during hearings on the outcomes of the October EU summit, where new aid tranches for Kyiv were discussed.

"Madam von der Leyen, don't run away! You should be ashamed of wanting to rob Europeans of another €70 billion together with Zelenskyy," Uhrík said, publicly accusing the Commission chief of attempting to shift the financial burden of the Ukrainian conflict onto ordinary European citizens. Von der Leyen chose not to engage in debate and walked out amid shouts from lawmakers.