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Euronews
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
EU Parliament censure vote leaves von der Leyen weakened
As the European Parliament prepares to vote on a motion of censure against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the political fallout could be significant - regardless of the outcome, with the motion reigniting concerns about her leadership style, lack of transparency and political positioning. The motion was tabled by Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea and signed by 77 members from the right-wing political groups, including the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), Patriots for Europe, and the Europe of Sovereign Nations. At the heart of their criticism lies von der Leyen's opaque handling of the EU's Pfizer vaccine procurement and her increasingly centralised approach to power. Alberto Alemanno, Jean Monnet Professor of EU Law at HEC Paris, told Euronews that the motion's significance goes well beyond the numbers in Parliament, however. 'This motion of censure highlights many of the shortcomings that media and political observers have pointed out for some time—her presidential style, the centralisation of power, and her opacity,' Alemanno said. He argued that while von der Leyen will likely retain the support of a majority of MEPs, the damage to her public image and political standing will be lasting. 'More and more citizens will ask themselves: is she really the right person to lead the EU in such turbulent times—negotiating with a potential Trump administration or playing a key role in Russia-Ukraine peace talks?' Alemanno also noted that concerns about von der Leyen's leadership are not limited to the far-right. Her secretive handling of vaccine negotiations and unwillingness to engage with the media have drawn criticism across the political spectrum. 'This censure motion is acting as a lightning rod for broader frustration,' he added. 'It brings together complaints from multiple camps and highlights a growing desire for greater democratic accountability.' A senior European Commission official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the vote had been widely discussed within the Berlaymont headquarters. 'Officials see this as a warning. Her leadership style—extremely centralised and often politically ambiguous—has made her vulnerable. There's a sense she's become a prisoner of her own European People's Party (EPP),' the official said. Time for von der Leyen to realign her agenda, says MEP Von der Leyen and the centre-right EPP have faced criticism in recent months for accepting far-right support in several parliamentary decisions, breaking with the EU's traditional centrist coalitions involving socialists, liberals, and greens. One EPP decision-maker told Euronews that von der Leyen must now realign her agenda more clearly with the party's values. 'She should draw the consequences. An EPP-dominated Commission must better reflect the EPP's platform,' the source said. Dutch Green MEP Bas Eickhout suggested the damage from this episode could extend beyond von der Leyen herself. 'What's clear is that the centrist majority in Parliament isn't functioning well—and that reflects poorly not only on von der Leyen, but on Manfred Weber too,' said Eickhout. 'In terms of public image, Weber may have suffered even more.' Despite the motion's expected failure, political observers believe it will intensify scrutiny of von der Leyen's leadership and further limit her room to manoeuvre in a second term. 'She won't walk away strengthened,' Alemanno concluded. 'Even if the vote fails, the pressure to hold her accountable will only grow.' This will put her on the spot as debate turns from next week to the European budget, "which is expected to be very contentious within and among member states of the union", he said. "Up to now, up to this vote, von der Leyen could rely on both majorities based on political convenience," he says, referring to the traditional centrist platform on the one hand, and tie-ups with the right wing on the other. By the time of von der Leyen's State of the Union address to the Parliament in September, she will be constrained to pick one of the two that she can rely on, he said.
The Guardian
16-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
MEPs call for EU court to suspend Hungary's Pride ban
A delegation of EU lawmakers visiting Hungary has called on Europe's top court to suspend a new law banning Budapest Pride, as they criticised a 'very hostile atmosphere' for LGBTQ+ people in the country and urged a return to 'real democracy'. Tineke Strik, a Dutch Green politician who led a cross-party group of MEPs to investigate democratic standards in Hungary, said developments were going 'rapidly in the wrong direction'. Concluding the three-day visit on Wednesday, Strik said: 'We eagerly want this country to turn back into a real democracy, because we think that Hungarian citizens should enjoy the same rights and values as we all do into the EU.' The five MEPs arrived in Hungary on the day that lawmakers passed a constitutional amendment allowing the government to ban LGBTQ+ events. That change codified a law passed in March banning Pride marches and allowing authorities to use facial recognition technology to track attenders so they may be fined. It has been described by one rights group as a 'full-frontal attack' on LGBTQ+ people. Strik said: 'Organisers and participants of the Budapest Pride risk facing criminal charges for marching peacefully in support of diversity, equality and freedom, as they have done for the last 29 years.' The MEPs said they were calling on the European Commission – the guardian of EU law – to ask the European court of justice to suspend the law pending further legal action. In response to the constitutional changes, the European Commission said on Tuesday it would not hesitate to act if necessary. The Guardian has requested comment on the MEPs' request for suspension, known as an interim measure. Krzysztof Śmiszek, of the Polish New Left, said the new law had created 'a very hostile atmosphere' for LGBTQ+ Hungarians that had 'already led to rise of physical, violent attacks and other types of hate crimes'. Michał Wawrykiewicz, a centre-right Polish MEP who campaigned to preserve independent judiciary in his home country, said the group had observed an 'indisputable deterioration of the situation' and 'an open denial of the rule of law'. He also said some officials had shown a 'very aggressive approach toward us' and 'rude behaviour'. Sophie Wilmès, a former Belgian prime minister and a liberal MEP, said some authorities had displayed 'very aggressive rhetoric' towards the group. She voiced alarm about pressure on independent media. She said the Hungarian government's extensive control over the media landscape meant 'smear campaigns have become the new norm'. Several government departments declined to meet the MEPs, without giving any reason, Strik said. Three nationalist and far-right European parliament groups declined to join the parliamentary visit: the European Conservatives and Reformists, Patriots for Europe and the Europe of Sovereign Nations Group. The visit wrapped up soon after the US government announced it was lifting sanctions on a close aide to Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orbán, describing the punitive measures as 'inconsistent with US foreign policy interests'. Antal Rogán had been added to the US sanctions list in January, in the final days of Joe Biden's administration, for alleged corruption. The Hungarian government said at the time it intended to challenge the move as soon as Donald Trump took office. Orbán is one of Trump's biggest supporters, once saying he would open several bottles of champagne if Trump was re-elected. Hungary was the only EU member state to vote against the EU's retaliatory measures against Trump's tariffs, which were later suspended after a last-minute policy reversal by the White House. In an awkward moment for the Orbán government, the Trump administration released a report on foreign trade barriers raising concerns about corruption in Hungary's public procurement system. Hungary's foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, claimed in response that parts of the report had been 'dictated by' the previous US ambassador to Budapest, David Pressman, who was a vocal critic of the government's democratic backsliding and foreign policy positions.
