EU's von der Leyen: 2024 a key year for democracy as elections loom

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says the year 2024 is "a key year for democracy" as Europeans are set to head to the polls amid ongoing major challenges for the continent, most notably Russia's continuing invasion of Ukraine.

"We have the elections in Europe, we have the elections in the United States of America. And we will do everything we can to ensure that open, free democracies prevail," von der Leyen told a retreat of Germany's Christian Social Union parliamentary group in Bavaria on Saturday.

Germany's centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is the traditional party of Germany's conservatives. However the CDU is not represented in the southern state of Bavaria - instead, its sister party, the Christian Social Union, or CSU, is the party on the ground.

The European Parliament is set to be re-elected at the beginning of June, followed by the presidential election in the US on November 5.

Looking ahead, von der Leyen called for Europe to focus more on defence. "Europe must have protection as a core task," she said.

Following the conclusion of recent reforms to the EU's asylum system, she said, it must be very clear: "We have always honoured our international commitments... But it is we, the Europeans, who decide who comes to Europe and under what circumstances - and not the smugglers and traffickers."

Von der Leyen distanced herself from the CSU's proposal to reduce the European Commission, the EU's executive body, from the current 27 to seven commissioners.

She said that it was important for her to emphasize "that it is rightly a very important concern for all member states to be represented at European level."

"Representation in the European Commission by a commissioner is enormously important for the member states, especially for the smaller member states," she said, adding that this is why she holds the principle in such high regard.

CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt said under his party's plans, there should be junior commissioners alongside the commissioners with large portfolios, so that all member states could be involved in the commission.

Dobrindt said he did not think that was a contradiction with von der Leyen's ideas.