EU chief Ursula von der Leyen faces two confidence votes Thursday in the European Parliament — challenges that pose no serious threat to her leadership but underscore the tensions roiling the assembly.
The two motions of censure against von der Leyen were brought by the hard-left and far-right, which accuse her European Commission of a lack of transparency and reject her trade policies.
But while the motions are widely expected to fail, they reflect mounting discontent with von der Leyen’s leadership and will test the cohesion of the coalition led by her conservative European People’s Party (EPP).
For von der Leyen, there is a sense of deja vu.
She survived a previous far-right attempt to unseat her in July, but the vote opened the door for allies in von der Leyen’s so-called pro-European camp to air their own grievances.
Critics from the left and centre accuse von der Leyen — and the broader conservative camp — of blurring lines with the far right and backtracking on environmental legislation.
“We can’t really say there’s been any progress in this Parliament,” charged centrist Renew group leader Valerie Hayer during a heated debate in the chamber on Monday.
“The pro-European majority that elected you is still not functioning properly,” Hayer said.
Iratxe Garcia Perez of the Socialists and Democrats delivered a warning to von der Leyen.
“You must choose between your allies and those who are not our friends,” she said in the parliament.
– ‘Surrender’ –
Monday’s debate saw both groups bringing challenges against von der Leyen call on her to stand down.
Hard-left France Unbowed lawmaker Manon Aubry accused her of “inaction” over the “genocide” in Gaza, while the far-right Patriots group chief Jordan Bardella slammed Europe’s trade “surrender” to the United States.
But despite their own frustrations, neither the socialists nor centrists are likely to break ranks with von der Leyen.
The EPP, for its part, remains firmly behind the commission chief.
In her debate response, von der Leyen offered a more conciliatory tone than in July when she had dismissed the censure’s backers as “extremists” and admirers of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I know there are some of you who are still unsure how to vote later this week,” she told lawmakers on Monday.
The commission president defended her record and called for unity, stressing the challenges the bloc faces — chief among them the war in Ukraine and the broader threat from Russia.
“The truth is that our adversaries are not only ready to exploit any divisions — they are actively inciting those divisions in the first place,” she said.
The European Parliament has never succeeded in toppling a commission team.
The only comparable moment dates from March 1999, when the commission led by Luxembourg’s Jacques Santer resigned en masse over damning corruption claims and mismanagement, rather than face a confidence vote it was set to lose.
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