
The no-confidence motion was initiated by far-right Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea (ECR). It called for the resignation of Ursula von der Leyen and her Commission, citing a lack of transparency and mismanagement, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic.
During the debate on the motion, Von der Leyen responded vehemently to the allegations on Monday evening, characterizing them as falsehoods propagated by “conspiracy theorists” and “friends of Putin” who aim to undermine the EU.
Approval of the motion required a double majority—a two-thirds majority of the votes cast and at least 361 votes from the total membership of Parliament. It was evident beforehand that this threshold would not be achieved, as the social democrats, liberals, and greens had already stated their opposition to the motion.
The three political groups that had previously supported Von der Leyen’s reappointment expressed significant criticism during the debate regarding her leadership and relationship with Parliament. The European People’s Party, her parliamentary group, also faced backlash for its growing ties with far-right factions.
In the end, only one liberal MEP and one socialist MEP voted in favor of the motion. Two EPP members abstained, along with five liberals, three socialists, and one member of the green group. Among the Belgian representatives, far-left Rudi Kennes and three MEPs from the far-right Vlaams Belang supported the motion, while members of the ruling N-VA party, part of the ECR group in Strasbourg, voted against it.













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