EU Parliament Votes Down No-Confidence Motion Against Ursula von der Leyen
Font Size
16
The European Parliament overwhelmingly voted on Thursday against a proposal to withdraw confidence from the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
The proposal, presented by the far-right, was supported by 175 MEPs in the European Parliament, while 360 MEPs voted against it with 18 abstentions.
The vote was not expected to succeed, but it revealed divisions among her supporters and complaints about her leadership style.
In a speech before the Parliament this week, von der Leyen rejected the no-confidence proposal, describing it as an attempt driven by conspiracy theories to divide Europe, and labeling her supporters as "anti-vaxxers" and "admirers of Russian President Vladimir Putin".
She called on lawmakers to renew their confidence in her Commission, emphasizing the need for Europe to show unity in the face of a range of challenges, from trade talks with the United States to Russia's war in Ukraine.
The no-confidence memo was initiated by the far-right Romanian MEP, Gheorghe Piperea, who criticizes the European Commission President for lack of transparency in the "Pfizergate" affair.
Von der Leyen has not yet released the text messages exchanged with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during the COVID pandemic, when the European Commission was negotiating with these American laboratories to purchase vaccines.
As a result of this issue, the Commission has faced complaints from anti-vaccine groups and individuals, as well as the American newspaper "New York Times" which sought access to the relevant correspondence but in vain.
