EU chief von der Leyen comfortably survives confidence vote
Lawmakers in Strasbourg rejected the censure motion -- launched by the far-right over the European Commission president's handling of Covid vaccine contracts -- by 360 to 175 in a widely expected result.
"In a moment of global volatility and unpredictability, the EU needs strength, vision, and the capacity to act," von der Leyen, who wasn't at the parliament for the vote, wrote on X afterwards.
"As external forces seek to destabilize and divide us, it is our duty to respond in line with our values. Thank you, and long live Europe."
Addressing parliament earlier this week, von der Leyen had dismissed the initiative as a conspiracy theory-laden attempt to divide Europe, slamming its supporters as "anti-vaxxers" and "apologists" for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
She had urged lawmakers 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 accused 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.
The commission's failure to release the messages -- the focus of multiple court cases -- has given weight to critics who accuse its boss of centralised and opaque decision-making.
That has also been a growing refrain from the commission chief's traditional allies on the left and centre, who largely backed von der Leyen, but used the vote to air their grievances.
- 'Not unconditional' -
One major complaint from her critics is that von der Leyen's centre-right camp has increasingly teamed up with the far-right to further its agenda -- most notably to roll back environmental rules.
Iratxe Garcia Perez, the head of the centre-left Socialists and Democrats, said the group's support did not "mean that we are not critical of the European Commission".
Its shift towards the far-right was "a major cause for alarm", she added.
"The motion of censure against the European Commission has been overwhelmingly rejected," centrist leader Valerie Hayer wrote on X. "But our support for von der Leyen is not unconditional."
"Pfizergate" aside, Romania's Piperea accused 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 was supported by some groups on the left and part of the far right -- including the party of Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
But Piperea's own group, the ECR, was split on the question.
Its largest faction, the party of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni that did not back the motion.
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The Advertiser
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Recent days have seen Russia use hundreds of drones to attack Ukrainian cities. In the BBC interview, Trump expressed renewed support for the NATO alliance. "I think NATO is now becoming the opposite of that (obsolete) Trump's comments come as EU countries near an agreement on a new package of sanctions against Russia. "We hope to reach a political agreement on the 18th sanctions package. We are very, very close. I hope it comes today," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said before a meeting with foreign affairs ministers from the 27 EU countries in Brussels. Sources told Reuters on Monday that all the elements of the package had been agreed, although one member state still had a reservation about a proposed lower price cap on Russian oil. The European Commission in June proposed the 18th package of sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, aimed at Moscow's energy revenue, its banks and its military industry. The new package proposes banning transactions with Russia's Nord Stream gas pipelines, as well as banks that engage in sanctions circumvention and a lower price cap on Russian oil. US President Donald Trump is "not done" with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the BBC, hours after he said he was disappointed in Putin and threatened Moscow with sanctions. Trump told the BBC he thought a Ukraine deal was on the cards with Russia four different times. Asked then by the BBC was he done with Putin, Trump said: "I'm disappointed in him , but I'm not done with him. But I'm disappointed in him." Pressed on how Trump would get Putin to "stop the bloodshed", the US president said: "We're working it." "We'll have a great conversation. I'll say: 'That's good, I'll think we're close to getting it done,' and then he'll knock down a building in Kyiv," Trump told the BBC in an interview published on Tuesday. Trump announced new weapons for Ukraine on Monday and threatened sanctions on buyers of Russian exports, with a 50-day grace period, unless Russia agreed to a peace deal, a major policy shift brought on by frustration with Moscow's ongoing attacks on its neighbour. He told reporters on Monday that billions of dollars of US weapons, including the Patriot air defence missiles, would be sent to Ukraine via NATO and that NATO would pay for them. Zelenskiy held talks with Trump's envoy Keith Kellogg on Monday. Since returning to the White House promising a quick end to the war, Trump has sought rapprochement with Moscow, speaking several times with Putin. His administration has pulled back from pro-Ukrainian policies such as backing Kyiv's membership in NATO and demanding Russia withdraw from all Ukrainian territory. But Putin has yet to accept a proposal from Trump for an unconditional ceasefire, which was quickly endorsed by Kyiv. Recent days have seen Russia use hundreds of drones to attack Ukrainian cities. In the BBC interview, Trump expressed renewed support for the NATO alliance. "I think NATO is now becoming the opposite of that (obsolete) Trump's comments come as EU countries near an agreement on a new package of sanctions against Russia. "We hope to reach a political agreement on the 18th sanctions package. We are very, very close. I hope it comes today," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said before a meeting with foreign affairs ministers from the 27 EU countries in Brussels. Sources told Reuters on Monday that all the elements of the package had been agreed, although one member state still had a reservation about a proposed lower price cap on Russian oil. The European Commission in June proposed the 18th package of sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, aimed at Moscow's energy revenue, its banks and its military industry. The new package proposes banning transactions with Russia's Nord Stream gas pipelines, as well as banks that engage in sanctions circumvention and a lower price cap on Russian oil. US President Donald Trump is "not done" with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the BBC, hours after he said he was disappointed in Putin and threatened Moscow with sanctions. Trump told the BBC he thought a Ukraine deal was on the cards with Russia four different times. Asked then by the BBC was he done with Putin, Trump said: "I'm disappointed in him , but I'm not done with him. But I'm disappointed in him." Pressed on how Trump would get Putin to "stop the bloodshed", the US president said: "We're working it." "We'll have a great conversation. I'll say: 'That's good, I'll think we're close to getting it done,' and then he'll knock down a building in Kyiv," Trump told the BBC in an interview published on Tuesday. Trump announced new weapons for Ukraine on Monday and threatened sanctions on buyers of Russian exports, with a 50-day grace period, unless Russia agreed to a peace deal, a major policy shift brought on by frustration with Moscow's ongoing attacks on its neighbour. He told reporters on Monday that billions of dollars of US weapons, including the Patriot air defence missiles, would be sent to Ukraine via NATO and that NATO would pay for them. Zelenskiy held talks with Trump's envoy Keith Kellogg on Monday. Since returning to the White House promising a quick end to the war, Trump has sought rapprochement with Moscow, speaking several times with Putin. His administration has pulled back from pro-Ukrainian policies such as backing Kyiv's membership in NATO and demanding Russia withdraw from all Ukrainian territory. But Putin has yet to accept a proposal from Trump for an unconditional ceasefire, which was quickly endorsed by Kyiv. Recent days have seen Russia use hundreds of drones to attack Ukrainian cities. In the BBC interview, Trump expressed renewed support for the NATO alliance. "I think NATO is now becoming the opposite of that (obsolete) Trump's comments come as EU countries near an agreement on a new package of sanctions against Russia. "We hope to reach a political agreement on the 18th sanctions package. We are very, very close. I hope it comes today," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said before a meeting with foreign affairs ministers from the 27 EU countries in Brussels. Sources told Reuters on Monday that all the elements of the package had been agreed, although one member state still had a reservation about a proposed lower price cap on Russian oil. The European Commission in June proposed the 18th package of sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, aimed at Moscow's energy revenue, its banks and its military industry. The new package proposes banning transactions with Russia's Nord Stream gas pipelines, as well as banks that engage in sanctions circumvention and a lower price cap on Russian oil.
