Far-right motion to oust von der Leyen falls short in EU Parliament vote

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has decisively survived a motion of censure led by the far-right in the European Parliament, which had the potential to topple the entire Commission.

In the vote held on July 10, 360 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) rejected the motion, while 175 supported it and 18 abstained. The motion fell short of the required two-thirds majority and the minimum threshold of 361 affirmative votes to pass, Caliber.Az reports, citing Euractiv. 

The motion was initiated by Gheorghe Piperea, a Romanian MEP from the far-right AUR party, which is part of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group. It was officially submitted last week with 74 initial signatures, predominantly from far-right members.

The text accused von der Leyen of mismanaging EU recovery funds, bypassing MEPs in the establishment of the EU’s SAFE defence loan programme, and alleged involvement in the so-called Pfizergate scandal.

During the parliamentary debate on July 7, the spotlight shifted from von der Leyen’s leadership to internal tensions within her political family, the European People's Party (EPP). Centrist groups criticised EPP leader Manfred Weber for drifting rightwards and fostering cooperation with segments of the far-right.

Ahead of the vote, major groups including the Socialists, Renew Europe, and the Greens declared their firm opposition to the motion, largely because it was spearheaded by the far-right. Von der Leyen also secured support from her own EPP group, which rejected the censure initiative.

Von der Leyen was absent during the vote, attending a conference in Rome focused on Ukraine’s reconstruction.

Observers noted the vote’s significance as a measure of support for the Commission compared to its initial election in November 2024. 

Bas Eickhout, co-president of the Greens group, cautioned against complacency, stating, "I would recommend the Commission president not to think that those numbers are then comforting because there are a lot of people not voting for this because it's a far-right motion of censure."

The motion exposed divisions within the ECR group, notably between the Polish Law & Justice members and the Italian delegation led by Giorgia Meloni.

By Sabina Mammadli