Particle.news

Download on the App Store

Von der Leyen Rebukes Far-Right No-Confidence Bid Ahead of Thursday Vote

Centrist groups have united to defeat the motion, spotlighting lingering transparency concerns.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a press conference with European Council President Antonio Costa and Moldovan President Maia Sandu at the first Moldova-EU summit in Chisinau, Moldova July 4, 2025. REUTERS/Vladislav Culiomza/File Photo
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addresses a media conference at an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)
08 July 2025, France, Straßburg: Ursula von der Leyen (CDU), President of the European Commission, stands in the European Parliament building and speaks. The plenary session week begins with a debate on a vote of no confidence in the EU Commission. The vote is scheduled for Thursday. Photo: Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa (Photo by Philipp von Ditfurth/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Unhappiness over Ursula von der Leyen’s leadership will surface during the debate

Overview

  • The European Parliament will vote on Thursday on a no-confidence motion that needs a two-thirds majority to force von der Leyen’s 27-member Commission to resign.
  • The motion was initiated by far-right Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea and accuses her of secret Pfizer text exchanges, misuse of EU funds and election interference.
  • Von der Leyen dismissed the challenge at Monday’s Strasbourg debate as an extremist conspiracy designed to polarize EU politics and erode trust.
  • Centrist parties, including the EPP, Socialists, Greens and Renew Europe, have publicly committed to voting against the censure motion.
  • Though doomed to fail, the showdown has exposed strains over informal far-right alliances on migration and environmental policymaking, as well as broader transparency issues.