Von der Leyen: SofaGate happened ‘because I am a woman’
In an impassioned address to MEPs, the first female president of the European Commission expressed how she felt “hurt and alone, as a woman and as a European” after the recent SofaGate incident in Turkey.
European Parliament Audiovisual: Ursula von der Leyen
27 Apr 2021
For the first time since the diplomatic gaffe in Ankara earlier this month, widely dubbed ‘SofaGate’, Ursula von der Leyen gave members of Parliament a raw insight into her feelings on the incident.
The diplomatic snub saw von der Leyen relegated to a sofa, while Council President Charles Michel and Turkish President Recep Erdoğan took their places on the two gilded chairs provided for the leaders in the centre of the room.