Ursula von der Leyen will remain in office: MPs reject vote of no confidence
Фото: Reuters
On Thursday, July 10, the European Parliament voted against a vote of no confidence in European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
This is reported by Politico.
According to the results of the vote, 360 deputies voted against, 175 supported the vote, and 18 abstained. In total, 553 out of 720 members of parliament took part in the vote, and at least 357 votes were needed to pass the decision.
If the vote of no confidence were passed, it would force von der Leyen and her Commission to leave their positions, which could lead to a serious political crisis in the European Union.
The initiative was initiated by Gheorghe Pipera, a Romanian MEP from the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) party. He admitted that he expected the vote to fail, but considers the very fact of the initiative to be a useful signal for the EU. Pipera added that this step “opens Pandora’s box” and proves the possibility of challenging the President of the European Commission. According to him, von der Leyen should prepare for new attempts to express no confidence.
The initiative was prompted by an investigation that erupted after a scandal surrounding the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines worth over 35 billion euros. On June 26, it became known about the threat of a vote of no confidence in the EC President.
In addition, the EU Court of Justice ruled against von der Leyen for violating transparency rules. She refused to release personal correspondence with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, which concerned the supply of vaccines in 2021. The lawsuit was filed by the American newspaper The New York Times, which accused Ursula von der Leyen of unjustified refusal to publish SMS messages that agreed on the terms of contracts between the EU and Pfizer. The Court rejected the European Commission’s argument that these messages could not be found.
This story opens a new chapter in the political battles surrounding the EU government, which could have consequences for trust in the Union’s leadership.
It should be noted that the far-right initiated the vote of no confidence in Ursula von der Leyen, but the center-left factions of the European Parliament — the Social Democrats, the Greens, and the Liberals — also used this moment to criticize the European Commission President. They are outraged by von der Leyen’s cooperation with the center-right European People’s Party and the far-right, accusing her of backing down from climate goals and neglecting the role of the European Parliament.
Importantly, for the far-right, who have anti-Ukrainian sentiments, weakening von der Leyen would be beneficial, as she is one of the most active supporters of Ukraine. At the same time, center-left leaders are calling on the EC President to join forces for the common goals of the EU.
Recall that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has found herself at the center of a large-scale political scandal that could cost her her position.
As reported, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen supported the start of negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU.
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