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European Parliament Rejects Ursula von der Leyen’s Censure Motion by Wide Margin

The vote preserves von der Leyen’s mandate despite far-right criticism over her Covid-19 vaccine communications.

La présidente de la Commission européenne Ursula von der Leyen devant le Parlement européen à Strasbourg, le 9 juillet 2025
La motion de censure contre la présidente de la Commission européenne, Ursula von der Leyen, a été rejetée par le Parlement européen (photo d’illustration).
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Overview

  • Far-right MEP Gheorghe Piperea of Romania’s AUR group initiated the censure motion over alleged opacity in von der Leyen’s SMS exchanges with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during Covid-19 vaccine negotiations.
  • On July 10 in Strasbourg, 360 MEPs voted against the motion, 175 supported it and 18 abstained.
  • Centrist and left-wing lawmakers largely rebuffed the proposal although they voiced concerns about executive transparency.
  • Von der Leyen denied any secret contacts with the Pfizer chief and labeled the motion’s sponsors as “anti-vaccine” sympathizers of Putin.
  • The tribunal’s May 14 ruling compelled the Commission to disclose the disputed SMS exchanges but left broader demands for executive accountability unaddressed.