EU top job nominee supports Erasmus+ budget boost

Ursula von der Leyen, who is in line to become the next European Commission president, has indicated that she would support a tripling of the EU’s Erasmus+ mobility programme.

Speaking to MEPs in the Greens/European Free Alliance political group on 10 July, von der Leyen said she was “a big fan of Erasmus+”, which supports student and staff mobility and has a budget of €14.7 billion for 2014-20. 

“I think it was the right way forward that the Commission proposed to double the amount invested in Eramus+,” she said, referring to proposals for 2021-27. She then added: “I’m grateful that the Parliament proposed to triple the amount, I think this is the right way to go.”