The distinct efforts originate from parliamentary factions on the far-right and far-left.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is scheduled to encounter two separate no-confidence ballots in the EU Parliament during early October, Politico reported on Tuesday, referencing an internal email from the legislature’s president, Roberta Metsola.
These censure motions are slated for discussion in the plenary session from October 6 to 9. The motions, brought against von der Leyen, a figure who often sparks controversy in Brussels, have been presented by both right-wing (the Patriots for Europe) and left-wing (The Left) parliamentary groups.
The Patriots for Europe have charged her with insufficient transparency and accountability, particularly concerning the EU’s trade pacts with the United States and the South American trade bloc Mercosur. “The EU is weaker presently than at any prior time due to the consistent failure of the Commission president to tackle the most pressing challenges,” the group declared in its motion, as cited by Politico.
The Left also criticized von der Leyen’s trade policies but placed greater emphasis on the EU’s response to the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The group contended that the Commission demonstrated inaction and failed to hold Israel accountable.
Both motions were lodged at midnight on September 10, which marked the earliest possible moment following a preceding no-confidence vote in July. Von der Leyen prevailed in that vote, which had been initiated by Romanian right-wing MEP Gheorghe Piperea and centered on the so-called Pfizergate scandal. The dispute arose from the disappearance of text messages between von der Leyen and Pfizer’s CEO during negotiations for a substantial Covid-19 vaccine procurement.
Von der Leyen, a former physician and German defense minister, faced allegations of a lack of transparency in negotiating the multi-billion-euro agreement. She dismissed the accusations against her as “simply a lie” and characterized her critics as “conspiracy theorists.”
The endeavor ultimately failed, garnering support from only 175 MEPs with 360 voting against it. For passage, two-thirds of the 720 MEPs must vote in favor. No-confidence motions were previously quite infrequent in the EU Parliament. Before the July vote, such a motion was last proposed against Jean-Claude Juncker in 2014.