Von der Leyen’s European Commission faces no-confidence vote

The European Commission under President Ursula von der Leyen will face a European Parliament no-confidence vote next week.

Parliament President Roberta Metsola informed parliamentary group leaders of the development Wednesday evening.

European lawmakers will debate the motion on Monday, with a vote scheduled for three days later.

Although the vote is largely symbolic, as most parties oppose the motion, it underscores growing frustration in Brussels following a series of contentious decisions. If the motion were to pass, the Commission would be required to resign as a whole, including its president and all 26 EU commissioners.

COVID vaccines at center of controversy

Right-wing Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea launched the motion of censure, criticising von der Leyen for a lack of transparency regarding text messages exchanged with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to The New York Times, personal contact between von der Leyen and Bourla was key to securing the EU’s multibillion-euro vaccine deal during the crisis.

The European Union’s General Court recently annulled a European Commission decision that had denied a New York Times journalist access to those messages.

Piperea also accused the Commission of “interference” in Romania’s presidential election, in which nationalist George Simion lost to pro-European Nicusor Dan.

However, the European Conservatives and Reformists group, which Piperea is a member of, has distanced itself from the motion.

“It’s not an initiative of our group,” an ECR spokesperson said.

For the motion to pass, it would require an absolute majority, at least 361 of the 720 votes.

While the current Commission is also led by von der Leyen, but following European elections in 2024, many of the commissioners are not those who served during the coronavirus pandemic.