No-Confidence Vote Against EU Commission President
A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) who is spearheading a motion of censure claims to have collected enough signatures to initiate the process. If validated, the discussion and subsequent vote will occur during the plenary session in Strasbourg in July.
The European Parliament is scheduled to discuss and vote next week on a “motion of censure,” acting as a no-confidence measure aimed at European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and her team of Commissioners.
Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea, from the ultra-conservative AUR party, asserts that he has secured 73 signatures for his motion, surpassing the minimum requirement of 72 signatures from MEPs needed to commence this action.
According to Piperea’s office, support includes 32 members from his political faction, the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), along with endorsements from far-right groups such as Patriots for Europe (6) and Europe of Sovereign Nations (26), as well as some non-attached MEPs.
Currently, internal sources indicate that the Parliament’s administrative services are in the process of verifying these signatures.
Upon completion of this verification, President Roberta Metsola will officially inform MEPs about the submitted motion of censure.
A debate over this resignation request must be arranged at least 24 hours after its announcement, with voting not occurring until a minimum of 48 hours following the start of the debate.
Parliamentary sources have informed Euronews that discussions may take place on Tuesday, July 8, with a vote anticipated on Thursday, July 10, depending on whether President Metsola announces the motion by week’s end.
It is important to note that any signing MEP has the right to retract their support at any moment. If this results in backing falling below one-tenth of total MEPs, progress on the initiative would halt.
For the censure motion to succeed, it requires approval from at least two-thirds of those voting—a majority among all MEPs.
Challenging Motion of Censure
This particular motion faces considerable challenges for approval; even its supporter acknowledges this reality in an interview with Euronews.
“I anticipate opposition to this motion: I believe this because a majority continues to back von der Leyen. Despite dissatisfaction within this majority regarding her leadership, there is currently no inclination toward demanding her resignation,” noted Piperea.
Nevertheless, Piperea hopes that his initiative might “open a Pandora’s box,” potentially encouraging future motions of censure in subsequent months. “It is essential we participate in this democratic process to foster such discussions. Even if my current motion does not succeed, there may indeed be successful motions later on,” he stated.
The foundation for this motion rests on three main accusations. The first involves text messages exchanged between Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during negotiations concerning COVID-19 vaccines.
“The EU Court of Justice in Luxembourg determined that the European Commission should reveal those SMS […]. The European Commission rejected this request. It pertains to separation of powers within a democracy: ignoring judicial rulings indicates an erosion of rule of law,” argued Piperea.
Additional allegations include claims regarding improper allocation of post-COVID funds and an alleged effort by the European Commission to promote its green policies by financing NGOs that lobby MEPs—claims which have been denied by the Commission.
