European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen faces a rare censure vote in the European Parliament on Thursday, expected to survive but reveal significant discontent among centrist, centre-left, and green MEPs. The motion, ostensibly about her refusal to release Pfizer text messages, is seen as a "proxy war" reflecting unhappiness with the EU's rightward political shift and her group's alliances with far-right parties.
Ursula von der Leyen faces rare censure vote in European parliament
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen faces a rare censure vote in the European Parliament on Thursday, expected to survive but reveal significant discontent among centrist, centre-left, and green MEPs. The motion, ostensibly about her refusal to release Pfizer text messages, is seen as a "proxy war" reflecting unhappiness with the EU's rightward political shift and her group's alliances with far-right parties.
Trending- 1 1999: Jacques Santer's commission resigns after a fraud and corruption scandal.
- 2 2014: Last motion of censure against Jean-Claude Juncker over the LuxLeaks scandal.
- 3 2024: European elections, von der Leyen re-elected to a second term.
- 4 Monday (this week): Ursula von der Leyen gives a pugnacious performance at the European Parliament.
- 5 Thursday (this week): Censure vote against Ursula von der Leyen in the European Parliament.
- Potential damage to von der Leyen's standing even if she survives.
- Revelation of deep divisions and discontent within the European Parliament regarding political direction and alliances.
- Ongoing debate about transparency and accountability in the EU.
What: Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, faces a rare censure vote in the European Parliament.
When: Thursday (vote day); Just under one year ago (von der Leyen re-elected); 2024 (European elections); 2014 (last censure motion against Juncker); 1999 (Santer Commission resignation).
Where: European Parliament, Europe, Germany, Romania, Gaza, Israel, Ukraine, US.
Why: Ostensibly due to her refusal to release text messages with Pfizer CEO during Covid pandemic (deemed "maladministration"). Underlying reasons include discontent among mainstream MEPs over the EU's rightward political drift, the EPP's alliances with far-right parties, and criticism of EU Covid recovery funds and defence fund.
How: A censure motion was tabled by MEP Gheorghe Piperea, gaining enough support to be debated and voted on. Von der Leyen is expected to survive, but abstentions from mainstream groups could signal significant disagreement.