EU chief von der Leyen in tense no‑confidence showdown
b>European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen faces a confidence vote
In Strasbourg, a far‑right member of the European Parliament has filed a motion of no confidence against the Commission president, a rare move that is unlikely to succeed but has revealed tensions between her supporters and critics of her leadership style.
b>What the motion says
- The motion was initiated by Romanian far‑right MEP Gheorghe Piperea and accuses von der Leyen of opaque decision‑making.
- Piperea alleges she failed to disclose text messages sent to the head of Pfizer during Covid vaccine negotiations, a case that has sparked multiple court proceedings.
- He also warns that the Commission has interfered in Romania’s recent presidential election, where pro‑European candidate Nicusor Dan narrowly won over nationalist George Simion.
b>Von der Leyen’s response
On Wednesday, she addressed the Parliament, dismissing the motion as a “conspiracy theory” aimed at dividing Europe. She called its supporters “anti‑vaxxers” and “Putin apologists” and urged lawmakers to reaffirm confidence in the Commission, arguing that unity is essential in the face of US trade talks and Russia’s war in Ukraine.
b>Who is behind the motion?
- The motion has support from some left‑wing groups, the far right, and the party of Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who tweeted “Time to go” with a photo of von der Leyen.
- However, the motion is divided within the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR). The largest faction, the party of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has pledged to back the EU chief.
- The two largest parliamentary groups—the centre‑right EPP and the centre‑left S&D—have flatly rejected the challenge. The motion requires two‑thirds of all votes cast, a majority of all lawmakers, to pass.
b>Why the motion is unlikely to succeed
The motion faces a steep barrier: it needs a supermajority of EU lawmakers to pass, and the two largest groups in Parliament have already ruled it out. Coupled with the division within the ECR, the motion is unlikely to alter the Commission’s leadership.
