EU official Ursula von der Leyen comfortably survives a confidence vote
BRUSSELS — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen comfortably survived a vote of no confidence on Thursday, as an overwhelming number of European Union lawmakers rejected a censure motion against her.
The motion contained a mix of allegations against von der Leyen, including text messaging privately with the chief executive of vaccine maker Pfizer during the COVID-19 pandemic, misuse of EU funds and interference in elections in Germany and Romania.
The motion was defeated in a 360-175 vote against it, with 18 lawmakers choosing to abstain during a plenary session at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. Von der Leyen wasn't present for the vote.
The vote has been a lightning rod for criticism of Von der Leyen — who led the EU drive to find vaccines for around 450 million citizens during the pandemic — and her European People's Party, or EPP, which is the largest political family in the assembly.
They're accused of cozying up to the hard right to push through their agenda. The EU parliament shifted perceptibly to the political right after Europe-wide elections a year ago.
'We won't vote with the far-right and we do not support this motion. This vote was little more than a far-right PR stunt from Putin-loving populists,' Greens group President Terry Reintke said in a statement after the poll, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
However, she added: 'We are ready to build pro-European majorities, but we will not be played by the EPP in their desperate deregulation agenda and their desire to consistently form anti-European majorities with the far-right.'
The censure motion, the first at the European Parliament in over a decade, was brought against the European Commission president by a group of hard-right lawmakers.
On the eve of the vote, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Facebook that it would 'be the moment of truth: on one side the imperial elite in Brussels, on the other patriots and common sense. There is no getting out of it, it is essential to make a choice.'
He posted: 'Madam President, the essence of leadership is responsibility. Time to go!' Von der Leyen's commission has frequently clashed with Orbán over his staunchly nationalist government's moves to roll back democracy. The European Commission has frozen Hungary's access to billions of euros in EU funds.
The second biggest group, the Socialists and Democrats, has said that the censure motion was a result 'of the EPP's irresponsibility and the double games.'
During debate on Monday, S&D leader Iratxe García Pérez said to the EPP: 'Who do you want to govern with? Do you want to govern with those that want to destroy Europe, or those of us who fight every day to build it?'
The EPP has notably worked with the hard right to fix the agenda for hearing von der Leyen's new commissioners when they were questioned for their suitability for their posts last year, and to reject an ethics body meant to combat corruption.
Lorne Cook, The Associated Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Vancouver Sun
44 minutes ago
- Vancouver Sun
EU to suspend U.S. tariff retaliation, will look for a deal with Trump by Aug. 1
The European Union will suspend retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods scheduled to take effect Monday in hopes of reaching a trade deal with the Trump administration by the end of the month. ″This is now the time for negotiations,″ European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels on Sunday, after President Donald Trump sent a letter announcing new tariffs of 30 per cent on goods from the EU and Mexico starting Aug. 1. The EU — America's biggest trading partner and the world's largest trading bloc — had been scheduled to impose ″countermeasures″ starting Monday at midnight Brussels time (6 p.m. EDT; 22:00 GMT). The EU negotiates trade deals on behalf of its 27 member countries. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Von der Leyen said those countermeasures would be delayed until Aug. 1, and that Trump's letter shows ″that we have until the first of August″ to negotiate. ″We have always been clear that we prefer a negotiated solution,″ she said. If they can't reach a deal, she said that ″we will continue to prepare countermeasures so we are fully prepared.″ A 30% tariff on EU exports would hurt businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic. We will continue working towards an agreement by August 1. At the same time, we are ready to safeguard EU interests on the basis of proportionate countermeasures. Europe's biggest exports to the U.S. are pharmaceuticals, cars, aircraft, chemicals, medical instruments and wine and spirits. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani was heading to Washington for talks Monday with the U.S. administration and Congress. In a statement, Tajani's office said that in his talks with EU allies before the meetings, he stressed the need to 'negotiate with one's head held high.' The right-wing government of Premier Giorgia Meloni, the only EU leader to attend Trump's inauguration, has sought to position itself as a ' bridge' between Brussels and Washington. Trump has said his global tariffs would set the foundation for reviving a U.S. economy that he claims has been ripped off by other nations for decades. Trump, in his letter to the EU, said the U.S. trade deficit was a national security threat. Trump isn't satisfied with some of the draft agreements on trade, White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said on ABC News Sunday. 'The bottom line is that he's seen some sketches of deals that had been negotiated with Howard Lutnick and the rest of the trade team, and the president thinks that the deals need to be better, and to basically put a line in the sand, he sent these letters out to folks. And we'll see how it works out,' he said. White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett defended Pres. Trump's newly unveiled 50% tariff against Brazil, the United States' second-largest trading partner, claiming the move is part of the administration's broader tariff strategy. U.S. trade partners — and companies around the world, from French winemakers to German carmakers — have faced months of uncertainty and on-and-off threats from Trump to impose tariffs, with deadlines sometimes extended or changed. The tariffs could have ramifications for nearly every aspect of the global economy. The value of EU-U.S. trade in goods and services amounted to 1.7 trillion euros (US$2 trillion) in 2024, or an average of 4.6 billion euros a day, according to EU statistics agency Eurostat. Trade ministers from EU countries are scheduled to meet Monday to discuss trade relations with the U.S., as well as with China. Speaking alongside Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, von der Leyen said the trade tensions with the U.S. show the importance of 'diversifying our trade relationships.″ Announcing closer cooperation between the EU and Indonesia, she stressed the need for 'predictable' trading partnerships based on 'trust.' The Indonesian leader said, 'I think the United States will be always a very important leader in the world,' but also stressed the need for multilateral relationships, adding, 'We would like to see a very strong Europe.' — Associated Press writer Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed to this report. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Edmonton Journal
an hour ago
- Edmonton Journal
EU to suspend U.S. tariff retaliation, will look for a deal with Trump by Aug. 1
Article content The European Union will suspend retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods scheduled to take effect Monday in hopes of reaching a trade deal with the Trump administration by the end of the month. Article content ″This is now the time for negotiations,″ European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels on Sunday, after President Donald Trump sent a letter announcing new tariffs of 30 per cent on goods from the EU and Mexico starting Aug. 1. Article content Article content Article content The EU — America's biggest trading partner and the world's largest trading bloc — had been scheduled to impose ″countermeasures″ starting Monday at midnight Brussels time (6 p.m. EDT; 22:00 GMT). The EU negotiates trade deals on behalf of its 27 member countries. Article content Von der Leyen said those countermeasures would be delayed until Aug. 1, and that Trump's letter shows ″that we have until the first of August″ to negotiate. Article content ″We have always been clear that we prefer a negotiated solution,″ she said. If they can't reach a deal, she said that ″we will continue to prepare countermeasures so we are fully prepared.″ Article content A 30% tariff on EU exports would hurt businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic. We will continue working towards an agreement by August 1. At the same time, we are ready to safeguard EU interests on the basis of proportionate countermeasures. — Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) July 12, 2025 Article content Article content Europe's biggest exports to the U.S. are pharmaceuticals, cars, aircraft, chemicals, medical instruments and wine and spirits. Article content Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani was heading to Washington for talks Monday with the U.S. administration and Congress. In a statement, Tajani's office said that in his talks with EU allies before the meetings, he stressed the need to 'negotiate with one's head held high.' Article content The right-wing government of Premier Giorgia Meloni, the only EU leader to attend Trump's inauguration, has sought to position itself as a ' bridge' between Brussels and Washington. Article content Trump has said his global tariffs would set the foundation for reviving a U.S. economy that he claims has been ripped off by other nations for decades. Trump, in his letter to the EU, said the U.S. trade deficit was a national security threat.
National Post
an hour ago
- National Post
EU to suspend U.S. tariff retaliation, will look for a deal with Trump by Aug. 1
The European Union will suspend retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods scheduled to take effect Monday in hopes of reaching a trade deal with the Trump administration by the end of the month. Article content ″This is now the time for negotiations,″ European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels on Sunday, after President Donald Trump sent a letter announcing new tariffs of 30 per cent on goods from the EU and Mexico starting Aug. 1. Article content Article content Article content The EU — America's biggest trading partner and the world's largest trading bloc — had been scheduled to impose ″countermeasures″ starting Monday at midnight Brussels time (6 p.m. EDT; 22:00 GMT). The EU negotiates trade deals on behalf of its 27 member countries. Article content Von der Leyen said those countermeasures would be delayed until Aug. 1, and that Trump's letter shows ″that we have until the first of August″ to negotiate. Article content ″We have always been clear that we prefer a negotiated solution,″ she said. If they can't reach a deal, she said that ″we will continue to prepare countermeasures so we are fully prepared.″ Article content A 30% tariff on EU exports would hurt businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic. We will continue working towards an agreement by August 1. At the same time, we are ready to safeguard EU interests on the basis of proportionate countermeasures. — Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) July 12, 2025 Article content Europe's biggest exports to the U.S. are pharmaceuticals, cars, aircraft, chemicals, medical instruments and wine and spirits. Article content Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani was heading to Washington for talks Monday with the U.S. administration and Congress. In a statement, Tajani's office said that in his talks with EU allies before the meetings, he stressed the need to 'negotiate with one's head held high.' Article content The right-wing government of Premier Giorgia Meloni, the only EU leader to attend Trump's inauguration, has sought to position itself as a ' bridge' between Brussels and Washington. Article content Trump has said his global tariffs would set the foundation for reviving a U.S. economy that he claims has been ripped off by other nations for decades. Trump, in his letter to the EU, said the U.S. trade deficit was a national security threat. Article content Trump isn't satisfied with some of the draft agreements on trade, White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said on ABC News Sunday.
