Latest news with #confidenceVote
Washington Post
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
EU chief von der Leyen faces a confidence vote. Hungary's leader says she must go
BRUSSELS — European Union lawmakers will hold a confidence vote Thursday on the head of the bloc's powerful executive arm, Ursula von der Leyen , with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán leading calls for her to be ousted. The censure motion, the first at the European Parliament in over a decade, was brought against the European Commission president by a group of hard-right lawmakers. To pass, it requires a two-thirds majority vote in favor.
Associated Press
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
EU chief von der Leyen faces a confidence vote. Hungary's leader says she must go
BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union lawmakers will hold a confidence vote Thursday on the head of the bloc's powerful executive arm, Ursula von der Leyen, with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán leading calls for her to be ousted. The censure motion, the first at the European Parliament in over a decade, was brought against the European Commission president by a group of hard-right lawmakers. To pass, it requires a two-thirds majority vote in favor. Von der Leyen could be forced to resign if she loses, but she is virtually guaranteed to win as most of the political groups in the assembly have signaled they would vote against the motion. She is not expected to attend the vote in Strasbourg, France. The motion contains a mix of allegations against von der Leyen including text messaging privately with the boss of COVID-19 vaccine maker Pfizer, misuse of EU funds and interference in elections in Germany and Romania. Orbán said on Facebook that the vote 'will be the moment of truth: on one side the imperial elite in Brussels, on the other patriots and common sense. There is no getting out of it, it is essential to make a choice.' He posted: 'Madam President, the essence of leadership is responsibility. Time to go!' Von der Leyen's commission has frequently clashed with Orbán over his staunchly nationalist government's moves to roll back democracy. The commission has frozen Hungary's access to billions of euros in EU funds. The vote has been a lightning rod for criticism of Von der Leyen — who led the EU drive to find vaccines for around 450 million citizens during the pandemic — and her European People's Party, which is the largest political family in the assembly. They're accused of cozying up to the hard right to push through their agenda. The EU parliament shifted perceptibly to the political right after Europe-wide elections a year ago. The second biggest group, the Socialists and Democrats, has said that the censure motion was a result 'of the EPP's irresponsibility and the double games.' During debate on Monday, S&D leader Iratxe García Pérez said to the EPP: 'Who do you want to govern with? Do you want to govern with those that want to destroy Europe, or those of us who fight every day to build it?' The EPP has notably worked with the hard right to fix the agenda for hearing von der Leyen's new commissioners when they were questioned for their suitability for their posts last year, and to reject an ethics body meant to combat corruption.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
EU chief von der Leyen faces no confidence vote
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen faces a confidence vote Thursday that has little chance of succeeding but has exposed frictions between her backers and complaints about her leadership style. European lawmakers will vote on the rare challenge pushed by a far-right faction against the European Commission president at around midday (1000 GMT) 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 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 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. 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 is also a growing refrain from the commission chief's traditional allies on the left and centre, who have used the vote to air their grievances. - Mainstream backing - A major complaint 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. 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. ub/jj/hmn
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
EU chief von der Leyen faces no confidence vote
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen faces a confidence vote Thursday that has little chance of succeeding but has exposed frictions between her backers and complaints about her leadership style. European lawmakers will vote on the rare challenge pushed by a far-right faction against the European Commission president at around midday (1000 GMT) 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 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 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. 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 is also a growing refrain from the commission chief's traditional allies on the left and centre, who have used the vote to air their grievances. - Mainstream backing - A major complaint 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. 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. ub/jj/hmn
Arab News
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
EU chief von der Leyen faces no confidence vote
STRATSBOURG: EU chief Ursula von der Leyen faces a confidence vote Thursday that has little chance of succeeding but has exposed frictions between her backers and complaints about her leadership style. European lawmakers will vote on the rare challenge pushed by a far-right faction against the European Commission president at around midday (1000 GMT) 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 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 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. The commission's failure to release the messages — the focus of multiple court cases — has given weight to critics who accuse its boss of centralized and opaque decision-making. That is also a growing refrain from the commission chief's traditional allies on the left and center, who have used the vote to air their grievances. A major complaint is that von der Leyen's center-right camp has increasingly teamed up with the far-right to further its agenda — most notably to roll back environmental rules. Centrist leader Valerie Hayer told parliament this week that von der Leyen's commission was 'too centralized 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 center-right EPP and the center-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.
