European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has ‘severe pneumonia’

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen addresses a media conference at the end of an EU summit in Brussels in December (Omar Havana/AP)

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is ill with “severe pneumonia” and has cancelled her appointments for the next two weeks, her office announced.

Spokesman Stefan De Keersmaeker said Ms Von der Leyen’s agenda had to be cleared of meetings in Lisbon and in Poland, which has just taken over the EU’s rotating presidency of the 27-nation European Union.