Brussels: Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will vote on Thursday on a motion of no confidence against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The motion, submitted by Romanian right-wing lawmaker Gheorghe Piperea, is based on what he described as a "breach of institutional transparency rules." This came after von der Leyen's refusal to publish text messages exchanged between her and the CEO of Pfizer regarding the contract to purchase COVID-19 vaccines.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the motion also includes criticisms issued by the European Court of Auditors regarding problems in the management of the European Recovery Fund, particularly the risks of double funding and weak oversight mechanisms. Piperea expressed his objection to the establishment of the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) without full consultation with parliament.
He added that the commission had interfered in electoral processes in member states, including Romania and Germany, through the controversial implementation of the Digital Services Act. The motion has the support of 77 MEPs from the right, representing three main parliamentary groups: the European Conservatives and Reformists, the Nationalists for Europe, and the Europe of Sovereign Nations.
This number exceeded the minimum threshold (72 signatures) needed to trigger a vote of no confidence, but is still far from achieving the two-thirds majority required to pass a no-confidence motion, estimated at approximately 361 votes. Von der Leyen is running for a second term as European Commission President and has the support of the main centrist parties in parliament, reducing the motion's chances of success.