Von der Leyen dodges EU no-confidence vote
(MENAFN) European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen successfully overcame a no-confidence vote in the European Parliament on Thursday. The motion, which accused her of abusing power, failed to gain the necessary support and was widely expected to be defeated.
Out of 720 MEPs, only 553 took part in the vote. The motion needed 357 votes to pass but received just 175 in favor, while 360 voted against and 18 abstained. Many absentees were members of parties that had publicly backed von der Leyen, and although some centrist factions had initially considered abstaining in protest, they ultimately opposed the motion to avoid association with its backers.
During a debate earlier in the week, von der Leyen dismissed her critics as “conspiracy theorists,” claiming they were influenced by hostile foreign powers, specifically alleging ties to Russia. Known for her strong anti-Moscow stance, von der Leyen has led efforts to increase EU military spending—plans that would require the bloc to take on hundreds of billions of euros in debt. Russian officials have criticized these policies, calling them a diversion from Brussels’ internal failures and based on exaggerated threats.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev commented ahead of the vote that von der Leyen would likely remain in office, but warned the attempt was a sign of growing discontent in Brussels.
The motion was introduced by Romanian nationalist MEP Gheorghe Piperea, who argued that von der Leyen’s survival came at a high political cost. He claimed she made conflicting promises to secure support from various political factions. For instance, von der Leyen allegedly vowed to preserve the European Social Fund to win over the Socialists & Democrats (S&D), while center-right parties like Renew Europe and the European People’s Party (EPP) reportedly want those funds redirected toward defense spending.
Despite the failed vote, political analysts noted that many mainstream lawmakers used the proceedings to vent dissatisfaction with von der Leyen’s leadership, accusing her of concentrating too much power in her office and lacking transparency.
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