European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen survived a no-confidence motion on Thursday, as members of the European Parliament voted decisively to keep her in office despite mounting criticism of her leadership approach.
The censure bid, spearheaded by far-right parties, targeted her role in negotiating Covid-19 vaccine contracts. However, the motion failed to gain traction, with 360 lawmakers voting against it and only 175 in favour during the session held in Strasbourg.
Although the outcome was never in serious doubt, the rare attempt to unseat von der Leyen has exposed growing dissatisfaction among her supporters, highlighting tensions over her management style and strategic decisions within the bloc’s executive arm.
“In a moment of global volatility and unpredictability, the EU needs strength, vision, and the capacity to act,” von der Leyen, who wasn’t at the parliament for the vote, wrote on X afterwards.
“As external forces seek to destabilize and divide us, it is our duty to respond in line with our values. Thank you, and long live Europe.”
Earlier this week, Ursula von der Leyen forcefully defended her record before the European Parliament, branding the no-confidence push against her as a divisive ploy fuelled by conspiracy theories. She lashed out at her critics, labelling them anti-vaccine agitators and allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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Von der Leyen urged lawmakers to stand behind her leadership, warning that European unity was paramount amid intensifying global challenges ranging from delicate trade negotiations with the United States to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The censure bid originated from Romanian far-right parliamentarian Gheorghe Piperea, who accused the Commission president of operating with little transparency, particularly over text messages exchanged with Pfizer’s chief executive during the bloc’s vaccine procurement talks.
The Commission’s refusal to disclose those messages – now the subject of several court battles – has fuelled perceptions of secretive and overly centralised decision-making under von der Leyen’s watch.
While most centre-left and centrist legislators ultimately voted to retain her, many used the proceedings as an opportunity to voice mounting frustration over what they see as her top-down governance style.