Ursula von der Leyen Faces Street Attack Allegation

By Shumaila Aslam,

Bureau Chief Pakistan

Scandinavian News Agency

Ursula von der Leyen has been the subject of an online claim alleging that she was confronted in the street by angry protesters who called her a “war criminal” and accused her of responsibility for thousands of deaths. However, no credible news report or official source reviewed by Scandinavian News Agency confirms that such an incident took place.

Verified reporting instead shows that the European Commission president publicly criticized the funeral of former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladić in Belgrade on September 8. Von der Leyen described images from the funeral as shocking and criticized the presence of senior Serbian officials.

Ursula von der Leyen Criticizes Mladić Funeral

Von der Leyen said Mladić was a convicted war criminal responsible for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. She also said the presence of senior Serbian officials at the funeral was deeply regrettable and argued that it conflicted with the values associated with Serbia’s path toward European Union membership.

The European Commission’s own September 8 press briefing confirms that the issue was being discussed in connection with the funeral and Serbia’s EU accession process. Commission officials said the bloc was examining possible next steps following the events in Belgrade.

The funeral attracted thousands of people and drew international criticism because of the participation of Serbian officials and military representatives. Mladić died in The Hague while serving a life sentence after convictions for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Reported Protest Confrontation Has Not Been Independently Verified

The specific allegation that von der Leyen was attacked or forced to flee after protesters shouted “War criminal” could not be independently verified from credible sources reviewed for this report.

That distinction is important because social media posts and short videos can sometimes combine unrelated footage with new captions or claims. Without a confirmed location, date, video provenance or statement from an authoritative source, the alleged confrontation should be treated as unverified rather than established fact.

There is also no verified evidence in the sources reviewed that von der Leyen personally accepted responsibility for thousands of deaths, as alleged in the circulating claim.

Key Facts

• No credible source reviewed confirms the alleged street attack on Ursula von der Leyen.
• Von der Leyen publicly criticized Ratko Mladić’s funeral in Belgrade on September 8.
• She described the funeral images as “shocking.”
• Senior Serbian officials attended the funeral, drawing criticism from EU officials.
• The controversy could affect discussions surrounding Serbia’s EU accession process.
• Leyen

FAQs:

Was Ursula von der Leyen attacked in the street?
There is currently no credible evidence reviewed by Scandinavian News Agency confirming that she was attacked or forced to flee from protesters.

What did Ursula von der Leyen actually criticize?
She criticized the funeral of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić in Belgrade and the presence of senior Serbian officials.

Who was Ratko Mladić?
Mladić was a former Bosnian Serb military commander who was convicted of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the Bosnian War.

Did von der Leyen call Mladić a war criminal?
Yes. In her public statement, she referred to Mladić as a convicted war criminal and described him as responsible for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Could the controversy affect Serbia’s EU membership bid?
EU officials have indicated that the funeral and Serbia’s handling of the issue are relevant to discussions about the country’s European path.

Serbia’s EU Path Faces Continued Scrutiny

The dispute over Mladić’s funeral has broader implications for Serbia’s relationship with the European Union. EU officials have repeatedly said that glorification of convicted war criminals and denial or revisionism surrounding genocide conflict with fundamental European values.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has rejected accusations that the event represented official glorification of Mladić, while the presence of senior officials at the funeral has nevertheless generated criticism from European and regional figures.

The controversy therefore concerns a documented political and diplomatic dispute, while the separate claim about a street attack on von der Leyen remains unsupported by the evidence reviewed.

Ursula von der Leyen and the European Union’s latest political developments in our related Europe news coverage.

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