Ursula von der Leyen, the lead candidate of the Christian Democratic party family, defended the EPP election program against criticism in the asylum chapter at the Maastricht Debate 2024 in the run-up to the European elections. „I reject the insinuation that the EPP supports the Rwanda model.“ The EU is not the United Kingdom, she said. During the debate with seven other leading candidates from the European party families, the incumbent Commission President said: „We have fulfilled our international obligations in the past, we do it today and we will do it in the future.“ But: „We must not let the smugglers and human traffickers dictate who comes to us.“