Von der Leyen, facing escalating criticism and skepticism, defends her leadership against accusations of untrustworthiness in recent vaccine negotiations.
EU President Ursula von der Leyen Overcomes Confidence Challenge Amidst Political Turmoil
EU President Ursula von der Leyen Overcomes Confidence Challenge Amidst Political Turmoil
Ursula von der Leyen manages to retain her position as President after confidence vote initiated by far-right faction.
Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, has managed to navigate a confidence vote initiated by a far-right faction within the European Parliament. Although it was anticipated that she would prevail, the very fact that such a vote occurred underscores the growing concerns and tensions surrounding her leadership.
This confidence vote, a rare occurrence in the Parliament, marked a significant moment since the last one against Jean-Claude Juncker over a decade ago. For the motion to pass, two-thirds of the 720 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) or a total of 480 votes would have been necessary. However, in a resounding outcome, only 175 supported the motion, with 360 voting against and 18 abstaining. A number of MEPs opted not to participate in the voting process.
The proposal to challenge von der Leyen was spearheaded by Romanian far-right MEP Gheorghe Piperea, who criticized her for alleged opacity regarding text message exchanges with Pfizer's head during the negotiation of COVID-19 vaccine contracts. The motion accused her administration of failing to uphold essential democratic principles, such as transparency and accountability.
In a passionate rebuke during the parliamentary debate, von der Leyen called her detractors "conspiracy theorists." She labeled Piperea and his allies as "extremists," "anti-vaxxers," and "Putin apologists," firmly rejecting the allegations regarding what has been dubbed "Pfizergate" as mere falsehoods.
Notably, Piperea garnered support from various influential leaders, including Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who criticized von der Leyen publicly. However, the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) party, which backed Piperea, experienced internal division over the motion, with a considerable number of its members aligned with the Brothers of Italy (FdI) party in favor of von der Leyen due to their amicable ties.
Von der Leyen secured her position thanks to significant backing from her center-right European People's Party (EPP), the Socialist and Democrats (S&D), as well as the liberal Renew and Green parties. Despite this apparent support, some factions within these groups expressed dissatisfaction with von der Leyen's recent alliances with far-right parties on critical issues such as immigration and environmental policies.
Valérie Hayer, leader of Renew Europe, publicly warned von der Leyen that her party's support must not be taken for granted, emphasizing the necessity for her to reassert control over the EPP and distance herself from far-right affiliations. Similarly, Iratxe García, head of the S&D, voiced concern over von der Leyen's shifts toward far-right ideologies while stressing the importance of stability in the Commission amid geopolitical uncertainty.
Amidst these challenges, von der Leyen addressed attendees at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome while the vote was ongoing and later conveyed her gratitude on social media, reinforcing her commitment to European stability amidst external pressures seeking to create division.
This vote highlights the ongoing complexities within the European political landscape and the delicate balance von der Leyen now must maintain to govern effectively in an increasingly polarized environment.
This confidence vote, a rare occurrence in the Parliament, marked a significant moment since the last one against Jean-Claude Juncker over a decade ago. For the motion to pass, two-thirds of the 720 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) or a total of 480 votes would have been necessary. However, in a resounding outcome, only 175 supported the motion, with 360 voting against and 18 abstaining. A number of MEPs opted not to participate in the voting process.
The proposal to challenge von der Leyen was spearheaded by Romanian far-right MEP Gheorghe Piperea, who criticized her for alleged opacity regarding text message exchanges with Pfizer's head during the negotiation of COVID-19 vaccine contracts. The motion accused her administration of failing to uphold essential democratic principles, such as transparency and accountability.
In a passionate rebuke during the parliamentary debate, von der Leyen called her detractors "conspiracy theorists." She labeled Piperea and his allies as "extremists," "anti-vaxxers," and "Putin apologists," firmly rejecting the allegations regarding what has been dubbed "Pfizergate" as mere falsehoods.
Notably, Piperea garnered support from various influential leaders, including Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who criticized von der Leyen publicly. However, the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) party, which backed Piperea, experienced internal division over the motion, with a considerable number of its members aligned with the Brothers of Italy (FdI) party in favor of von der Leyen due to their amicable ties.
Von der Leyen secured her position thanks to significant backing from her center-right European People's Party (EPP), the Socialist and Democrats (S&D), as well as the liberal Renew and Green parties. Despite this apparent support, some factions within these groups expressed dissatisfaction with von der Leyen's recent alliances with far-right parties on critical issues such as immigration and environmental policies.
Valérie Hayer, leader of Renew Europe, publicly warned von der Leyen that her party's support must not be taken for granted, emphasizing the necessity for her to reassert control over the EPP and distance herself from far-right affiliations. Similarly, Iratxe García, head of the S&D, voiced concern over von der Leyen's shifts toward far-right ideologies while stressing the importance of stability in the Commission amid geopolitical uncertainty.
Amidst these challenges, von der Leyen addressed attendees at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome while the vote was ongoing and later conveyed her gratitude on social media, reinforcing her commitment to European stability amidst external pressures seeking to create division.
This vote highlights the ongoing complexities within the European political landscape and the delicate balance von der Leyen now must maintain to govern effectively in an increasingly polarized environment.
