Vote of No Confidence against Ursula von der Leyen: A Calculated Masquerade
This vote of no confidence is unlikely to succeed. Yet, it serves a valuable purpose: illuminating the posturing of a factice alternative.
A motion of censure has been initiated against Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, led by Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea of the sovereignist right-wing Alliance for the Unity of Romania. The motion secured sufficient backing—79 signatures, exceeding the required 72—to advance to a vote. It is slated for debate on Monday, July 7, with a vote scheduled for Wednesday, July 10.
Behind closed doors, intense negotiations and pressures continue, despite the principle that such decisions should stem from individual conviction rather than party dictates. These efforts have already led Slovenian MEP Branko Grims, the only member of von der Leyen’s European People’s Party (EPP) to initially support the motion, to retract his sponsorship.
Citing the Pfizergate scandal, alleged interference in Romania’s elections (notably through the Digital Services Act), and the use of an emergency clause to allocate €150 billion for defense, the motion faces formidable challenges. Requiring a two-thirds majority—equivalent to at least 475 of the 720 elected MEPs—its prospects of forcing von der Leyen’s resignation remain slim.
A long shot? This episode holds significant symbolic weight, exposing a deepening fissure within the European Union that amplifies dissenting voices, particularly from Eastern member states like Romania and Poland. It also lays bare the disconnect between rhetoric and action, revealing the petty political strategies at play beneath the surface.