Overview

• Far-right Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea secured enough signatures to trigger Thursday’s no-confidence vote over undisclosed texts with Pfizer’s CEO and allegations of fund misuse and election interference.
• Centrist groups, led by the European People’s Party, have vowed to oppose the motion, ensuring it will fall short of the two-thirds majority required to unseat her.
• On July 9, von der Leyen offered targeted budget reallocations to centrist MEPs in a bid to reinforce her fragile coalition ahead of the vote.
• Monday’s debate exposed deepening rifts within her centrist alliance over informal pacts with hard-right parties on migration and Green Deal rollbacks.
• The rare censure motion underscores lingering concerns about Commission transparency and the accountability of its pandemic-era decision making.