Overview

• On July 10 in Strasbourg, 360 MEPs voted against the no-confidence motion, 175 supported it and 18 abstained, ensuring von der Leyen’s survival
• The motion, filed by far-right Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea, accused her of secret text exchanges with Pfizer’s chief executive, misuse of EU funds and election interference
• Despite unified backing from the EPP, S&D, Renew and Greens, significant absences and abstentions underscored discontent within her mainstream coalition
• In exchange for overcoming abstention threats, von der Leyen pledged to retain the European Social Fund in the forthcoming long-term EU budget
• Parliamentary rules allowing censure motions with just 72 signatures and a two-thirds majority requirement are expected to embolden future challenges to her leadership