Dozens of MEPs ready to vote 'no confidence' in von der Leyen
The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are set to vote on a motion of no confidence against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen next week, citing her handling of a controversial Covid-19 vaccine deal, according to multiple media reports.
The motion, brought forward by Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea, is scheduled for debate on July 7, followed by a vote on July 10 during the European Parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg, Politico reported on Wednesday.
Von der Leyen has been accused of a lack of transparency and mismanagement during the pandemic, specifically over her refusal to disclose text messages exchanged with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during 2021 negotiations over a multi-billion-euro contract for Covid-19 vaccines. The move follows a ruling by the EU's Court of Justice, which found that the European Commission had failed to provide credible justification for not releasing the texts.
"The Commission cannot merely state that it does not hold the requested documents but must provide credible explanations," the court ruled in May. The refusal to share the messages even after the court order showed "a continued pattern of institutional overreach, democratic disregard, and erosion of public trust in the Union's governance," Piperea argued last month.
Despite collecting the required 72 signatures to trigger the motion, the vote is expected to be largely symbolic. A double majority is required for it to pass: two-thirds of votes cast must support the motion, representing a majority of the Parliament's 720 seats. Piperea acknowledged the vote's long odds but described it as a "crucial opportunity for constructive and substantiated criticism towards President von der Leyen."
Von der Leyen's European People's Party and other centrist groups that form the current parliamentary majority have indicated they will not support the motion, even as some members expressed frustration over the Commission's hypocritical stance on transparency.
If the motion were to succeed, the entire European Commission would be required to resign, triggering the appointment of 27 new commissioners. The only time a Commission has resigned en masse was in 1999, under President Jacques Santer, amid a corruption scandal. The last similar motion, filed against former Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in 2014 over tax avoidance allegations, failed by a wide margin.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malaysia Sun
5 hours ago
- Malaysia Sun
Dozens of MEPs ready to vote 'no confidence' in von der Leyen
The European Commission president has been under scrutiny over a Pfizergate Covid-19 vaccine scandal The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are set to vote on a motion of no confidence against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen next week, citing her handling of a controversial Covid-19 vaccine deal, according to multiple media reports. The motion, brought forward by Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea, is scheduled for debate on July 7, followed by a vote on July 10 during the European Parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg, Politico reported on Wednesday. Von der Leyen has been accused of a lack of transparency and mismanagement during the pandemic, specifically over her refusal to disclose text messages exchanged with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during 2021 negotiations over a multi-billion-euro contract for Covid-19 vaccines. The move follows a ruling by the EU's Court of Justice, which found that the European Commission had failed to provide credible justification for not releasing the texts. "The Commission cannot merely state that it does not hold the requested documents but must provide credible explanations," the court ruled in May. The refusal to share the messages even after the court order showed "a continued pattern of institutional overreach, democratic disregard, and erosion of public trust in the Union's governance," Piperea argued last month. Despite collecting the required 72 signatures to trigger the motion, the vote is expected to be largely symbolic. A double majority is required for it to pass: two-thirds of votes cast must support the motion, representing a majority of the Parliament's 720 seats. Piperea acknowledged the vote's long odds but described it as a "crucial opportunity for constructive and substantiated criticism towards President von der Leyen." Von der Leyen's European People's Party and other centrist groups that form the current parliamentary majority have indicated they will not support the motion, even as some members expressed frustration over the Commission's hypocritical stance on transparency. If the motion were to succeed, the entire European Commission would be required to resign, triggering the appointment of 27 new commissioners. The only time a Commission has resigned en masse was in 1999, under President Jacques Santer, amid a corruption scandal. The last similar motion, filed against former Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in 2014 over tax avoidance allegations, failed by a wide margin.
Malaysian Reserve
6 hours ago
- Malaysian Reserve
No-confidence vote against EU Commission president set for July 10
BRUSSELS — A no-confidence motion against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will be debated July 7 and voted July 10 during the European Parliament's plenary session in France, a MEP(member of the European Union Parliament) wrote Thursday on X. According to Anadolu Ajansi (AA) it follows an approval by the Conference of Presidents (COP) with 79 supporting signatures. 'The motion of No – Confidence against Ursula von der Leyen just gone through the filter of COP (Conference of Presidents). There are 79 signatures. Will be debated next Monday and voted next Thursday in Strasbourg,' wrote Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea, who submitted the motion. It stems from accusations that von der Leyen violated EU transparency standards by refusing to disclose text messages exchanged with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during the coronavirus vaccine negotiations in 2021. Despite a ruling by the European Court of Justice in favor of a journalist requesting access to the messages, the Commission has not released the correspondence. Piperea accused the Commission of hypocrisy when he spoke to Anadolu, claiming it enforces strict rule of law standards on Eastern European states while shielding itself from scrutiny. While the no-confidence vote is unlikely to gain a majority of MEPs, Piperea argued it sends a powerful symbolic message. — BERNAMA-ANADOLU
Malay Mail
7 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Von der Leyen to face no-confidence vote over Pfizer texts, Romania ‘interference' claims
BRUSSELS, July 3 — European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen will face a no-confidence vote put forward by far-right MEPs on July 10 — although it is likely to fail. The motion delivered to the European Parliament's plenary session Wednesday reached the minimum requirement of 72 signatures to set a date for the vote. MEPs will debate the motion on Monday in Strasbourg ahead of the vote the following Thursday. Initiating the move, far-right Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea criticised a lack of transparency from von der Leyen related to text message exchanges with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during the Covid pandemic, when the bloc was negotiating the purchase of vaccines. Their exchange has spurred complaints from numerous anti-vaccine groups, as well as the New York Times, which sought access to the messages in question. Piperea meanwhile also accused the European Commission of 'interference' in Romania's presidential election that saw nationalist George Simion lose to pro-European Nicusor Dan. Chances of von der Leyen losing the no confidence vote are slim. Piperea's own political group ECR has already distanced itself from the motion. 'It's not an initiative of our group,' an ECR spokesperson said. For the motion to succeed, it would require an absolute majority — at least 361 of the 720 votes. — AFP
