The European Parliament voted overwhelmingly today against a motion to withdraw confidence from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The proposal, introduced by far-right politicians, garnered support from 175 members, while 360 members voted against it, with 18 abstentions.
Although it was predicted that the motion faced slim chances of success, it spotlighted divisions among her supporters and raised concerns regarding her leadership style.
In a speech to Parliament earlier this week, von der Leyen rejected the confidence motion, labeling it a conspiracy-driven attempt to fragment Europe, and characterized its supporters as “anti-vaccine” and “admirers of Russian President Vladimir Putin.”
She urged legislators to reaffirm their confidence in her commission, emphasizing the importance of demonstrating unity in Europe when faced with various challenges, ranging from trade negotiations with the United States to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The motion was initiated by Romanian far-right MEP Gheorghe Piperea, who criticized the Commission President for lacking transparency regarding the issue known as “Pfizergate.”
Specifically, von der Leyen has yet to disclose text messages exchanged with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the European Commission was negotiating vaccine purchases with the American pharmaceutical companies.
This issue has prompted complaints from anti-vaccine groups and prominent figures, as well as inquiries from the New York Times, which sought to view the related communications but was unsuccessful.
Moreover, Piperea has accused the European Commission of interfering in Romania’s presidential elections, which were won by Nicusor Dan, a pro-European Union candidate, in May.
The nationalistic candidate, Calin Georgescu, had initially led in a previous election round held last November, but Romania’s Constitutional Court later annulled that election’s results due to irregularities and alleged Russian interference.
The European Commission has also heightened its stance against the social media platform TikTok over concerns regarding its compliance and the potential for manipulations from Russia.
Valérie Aubert, the leader of the centrist group, stated to AFP weeks ago that she would “of course” not support the confidence motion, highlighting that the Commission President is handling all matters, and noting recent incidents that have frustrated centrist lawmakers.
Unannounced, the Commission threatened to withdraw a proposed anti-greenwashing law under discussion in the European Parliament, a move perceived by many MEPs as an infringement on their authority.
Historically, no European Commission has ever been dismissed, with a rare exception in March 1999 when the Commission led by Jacques Santer preemptively resigned in light of a damning report on severe responsibility in fraud cases.