The European Commission denied Monday that it tried to hide the health of its chairwoman Ursula von der Leyen after she was hospitalized with severe pneumonia, the Associated Press reported.

The European Commission said Jan. 3 that von der Leyen had fallen ill with “severe pneumonia” and that her meetings for the next two weeks had been canceled.

No details were provided about her condition or how she became ill, but German news agency dpa later reported that she had been hospitalized. This raised questions about the transparency of the powerful EU executive. Asked by reporters why news of her hospitalization was withheld, European Commission spokeswoman Paula Pinho said: “We said the chairwoman had severe pneumonia. We said she was suffering from a serious illness at her home in the German city of Hannover.”

Pinew said the media had been informed that von der Leyen had canceled her meetings in early January but had taken important phone calls, including with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and was able to attend to European Commission business.

“That's why we provided you with crucial information about the president's health, telling you what illness she had and how serious it was,” Pinho said in response to questions from several reporters, without explaining why details about the hospital were withheld. - Her ability to act was never in question.”