European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen faces no-confidence vote today
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will vote on the rare challenge pushed by a far-right faction against the European Commission president in Strasbourg.
Addressing parliament this week, von der Leyen dismissed the no-confidence motion as a conspiracy theory-laden attempt to divide Europe, dismissing its supporters as 'anti-vaxxers' and Russian President Vladimir 'Putin apologists'.
She urged MEPs to renew confidence in her commission arguing it was critical for Europe to show unity in the face of an array of challenges, from US trade talks to Russia's war in Ukraine.
The no-confidence motion was initiated by Romanian far-right lawmaker Gheorghe Piperea.
He accuses von der Leyen of a lack of transparency over text messages she sent to the head of the Pfizer pharmaceutical giant when negotiating Covid vaccines.
Pipera proposed the no-confidence motion over a recently
annulled commission decision that denied a journalist access to text messages between von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla
.
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The European Union's General Court sided with The New York Times' case in May, rejecting the commission's decision to deny access to the messages. It has been alleged that texts were key to securing vaccines during the pandemic.
Mainstream backing
Centrist leader Valerie Hayer told parliament this week that von der Leyen's commission was 'too centralised and sclerotic' before warning that 'nothing can be taken for granted'.
'Pfizergate' aside, Romania's Piperea accuses the commission of interfering in his country's recent presidential election, in which pro-European Nicusor Dan narrowly beat EU critic and nationalist George Simion.
That vote came after Romania's constitutional court scrapped an initial ballot over allegations of Russian interference and massive social media promotion of the far-right frontrunner, who was barred from standing again.
Piperea's challenge is unlikely to succeed.
It has support from some groups on the left and part of the far right – including the party of Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
'Time to go,' Orban tweeted on Wednesday alongside a photo of von der Leyen.
But Piperea's own group, the ECR, is split. Its largest faction, the party of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, said it would back the EU chief.
The two largest groups in parliament, the centre-right EPP and the centre-left Socialists and Democrats, have also flatly rejected the challenge, which needs two-thirds of votes cast, representing a majority of all lawmakers to pass.
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