The EU has nominated Ursula von der Leyen as its choice for the next president of the European Commission.

Von der Leyen, currently Germany's Minister for Defence, was formally chosen by the 28 European Union leaders yesterday following a meeting in Brussels. She must next be approved by a simple majority of the European Parliament. If elected, she will succeed Jean-Claude Juncker, the Luxembourgish politician who has held the role since 2014. Von der Leyen would also become the first ever woman to hold the position, reports Sky News. She is a member of Germany's Christian Democratic Union party and the only minister to serve continuously in Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet since she took power in 2005. A medical doctor by profession, Von der Leyen has been a politician since 1999. She speaks English, French and German and is a mother to seven children. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar welcomed the news that Ms Von der Leyen had been nominated, saying that she would be able to fill the role of Commission President when it came to Brexit, according to RTÉ News. A vote will be held in the European Parliament to confirm her as the European Commission president on 15 July. The Commission will be responsible for overseeing trade negotiations between the EU and Britain before and after Brexit.