Ursula von der Leyen stays in office as European Parliament rejects two no-confidence votes
Photo: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (Getty Images)
The European Parliament rejected two attempts to pass a vote of no confidence in the European Commission, led by its President, Ursula von der Leyen, Euronews reports.
According to reports, the first proposal was submitted by the far-right political group Patriots for Europe. It was rejected with 378 votes against, 179 in favor, and 37 abstentions.
The second proposal, submitted by the Left group, was rejected with 383 votes against, 133 in favor, and 78 abstentions.
"I deeply appreciate the strong support received today. The Commission will keep working closely with the European Parliament to tackle Europe’s challenges. And together deliver results for all European citizens," von der Leyen said.
No-confidence votes against Ursula von der Leyen
The no-confidence motions against the European Commission President were initiated by far-right MEPs. Most European Parliament groups openly refused to support the initiative.
The resolution against the Commission President was proposed by Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea from the European Conservatives and Reformists group.
The criticism of von der Leyen stems from her correspondence with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The New York Times attempted to gain access to the correspondence through the courts, claiming that in 2021, EU Commission leaders and Pfizer discussed the purchase of 1.8 billion vaccine doses for the EU at a cost of 35 billion euros.
The outlet suggested that von der Leyen may have directly influenced the negotiation process and that the number of doses ordered could have significantly exceeded actual needs.
On October 9, the European Parliament held votes on two no-confidence motions against the Commission President and rejected both.
At the same time, Politico notes that no-confidence votes against the European Commission President, such as those targeting Ursula von der Leyen, could become a common practice for European politicians.
