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