Latest news with #GheorghePiperea
Malay Mail
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Von der Leyen to face no-confidence vote over Pfizer texts, Romania ‘interference' claims
BRUSSELS, July 3 — European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen will face a no-confidence vote put forward by far-right MEPs on July 10 — although it is likely to fail. The motion delivered to the European Parliament's plenary session Wednesday reached the minimum requirement of 72 signatures to set a date for the vote. MEPs will debate the motion on Monday in Strasbourg ahead of the vote the following Thursday. Initiating the move, far-right Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea criticised a lack of transparency from von der Leyen related to text message exchanges with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during the Covid pandemic, when the bloc was negotiating the purchase of vaccines. Their exchange has spurred complaints from numerous anti-vaccine groups, as well as the New York Times, which sought access to the messages in question. Piperea meanwhile also accused the European Commission of 'interference' in Romania's presidential election that saw nationalist George Simion lose to pro-European Nicusor Dan. Chances of von der Leyen losing the no confidence vote are slim. Piperea's own political group ECR has already distanced itself from the motion. 'It's not an initiative of our group,' an ECR spokesperson said. For the motion to succeed, it would require an absolute majority — at least 361 of the 720 votes. — AFP
Russia Today
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Dozens of MEPs ready to vote ‘no confidence' in von der Leyen
The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are set to vote on a motion of no confidence against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen next week, citing her handling of a controversial Covid-19 vaccine deal, according to multiple media reports. The motion, brought forward by Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea, is scheduled for debate on July 7, followed by a vote on July 10 during the European Parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg, Politico reported on Wednesday. Von der Leyen has been accused of a lack of transparency and mismanagement during the pandemic, specifically over her refusal to disclose text messages exchanged with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during 2021 negotiations over a multi-billion-euro contract for Covid-19 vaccines. The move follows a ruling by the EU's Court of Justice, which found that the European Commission had failed to provide credible justification for not releasing the texts. 'The Commission cannot merely state that it does not hold the requested documents but must provide credible explanations,' the court ruled in May. The refusal to share the messages even after the court order showed 'a continued pattern of institutional overreach, democratic disregard, and erosion of public trust in the Union's governance,' Piperea argued last month. Despite collecting the required 72 signatures to trigger the motion, the vote is expected to be largely symbolic. A double majority is required for it to pass: two-thirds of votes cast must support the motion, representing a majority of the Parliament's 720 seats. Piperea acknowledged the vote's long odds but described it as a 'crucial opportunity for constructive and substantiated criticism towards President von der Leyen.' Von der Leyen's European People's Party and other centrist groups that form the current parliamentary majority have indicated they will not support the motion, even as some members expressed frustration over the Commission's hypocritical stance on transparency. If the motion were to succeed, the entire European Commission would be required to resign, triggering the appointment of 27 new commissioners. The only time a Commission has resigned en masse was in 1999, under President Jacques Santer, amid a corruption scandal. The last similar motion, filed against former Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in 2014 over tax avoidance allegations, failed by a wide margin.
Arab News
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
EU's von der Leyen to face no confidence vote
BRUSSELS: European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen will face a no-confidence vote put forward by far-right MEPs on July 10 — although it is likely to fail. The motion delivered to the European Parliament's plenary session Wednesday reached the minimum requirement of 72 signatures to set a date for the vote. MEPs will debate the motion on Monday in Strasbourg ahead of the vote the following Thursday. Initiating the move, far-right Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea criticized a lack of transparency from von der Leyen related to text message exchanges with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during the Covid pandemic, when the bloc was negotiating the purchase of vaccines. Their exchange has spurred complaints from numerous anti-vaccine groups, as well as the New York Times, which sought access to the messages in question. Piperea meanwhile also accused the European Commission of 'interference' in Romania's presidential election that saw nationalist George Simion lose to pro-European Nicusor Dan. Chances of von der Leyen losing the no confidence vote are slim. Piperea's own political group ECR has already distanced itself from the motion. 'It's not an initiative of our group,' an ECR spokesperson said. For the motion to succeed, it would require an absolute majority — at least 361 of the 720 votes.
Euractiv
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Euractiv
Von der Leyen no-confidence vote set for Strasbourg next week
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will face a no-confidence vote in the European Parliament next Thursday, after a motion tabled by a far-right Romanian MEP cleared the necessary procedural checks. The initiative, led by Gheorghe Piperea the ECR's Romanian AUR party, was officially submitted last week with 74 initial signatures. Although several MEPs later withdrew their support, Piperea announced on Wednesday that the motion had gathered 79 signatures, just over the threshold required to trigger parliamentary action. A Parliament source confirmed to Euractiv that President Roberta Metsola has informed the Conference of Presidents, the body that sets the Parliament's agenda, that the motion had met all the requirements under Rule 131 of the Parliament's rules of procedure. The motion will be debated on Monday, before a vote on Thursday during the plenary session in Strasbourg. The vote is unlikely to pass. (om)
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
MEPs seek Commission President von der Leyen's resignation with censure motion
A group of European lawmakers has launched an initiative for a no-confidence vote against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, claiming to have collected more than the required 72 signatures to formally submit the motion. Although unlikely to pass, the censure motion could pave the way to broader consequences, replicating the path that led in the 1990s to the voluntary resignation of the EU executive led by Jacques Santer. The move comes in response to a recent court ruling criticising von der Leyen's lack of transparency in relation to the so-called 'Pfizergate' scandal, as well as broader allegations of bypassing the European Parliament and centralising power within the Commission. Romanian hard-right MEP Gheorghe Piperea announced he would submit the motion of censure this week, having gathered signatures from MEPs across at least three political groupings on the right and far-right spectrum: the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), the Patriots, the European of Sovereign Nations group (ESN), as well as some non-affiliated members. Despite participation from individual conservative MEPs, the initiative does not officially represent the ECR group, which includes Italy's ruling party, Fratelli d'Italia, led by Giorgia Meloni. 'ECR MEPs participating in this initiative are doing so on an individual basis,' a spokesperson clarified. While the threshold to initiate a no-confidence vote is relatively low, the chances of removing von der Leyen and her Commission are slim. Such a motion requires a two-thirds majority in the 720-seat European Parliament. 'I hope other groups will join the motion, but I'm not naive,' Piperea told Euronews, acknowledging the unlikelihood of success. Related How the love story between von der Leyen and Pfizer turned sour That is not the direct aim however. 'Still, we could gather a couple hundred votes, which may trigger a broader debate among politicians and the public, possibly leading to her voluntary resignation,' said Piperea. No-confidence votes are infrequent but historically significant in the European Parliament. In 1999, the entire European Commission, led by Jacques Santer, resigned amid fraud allegations and transparency issues, despite surviving a confidence vote. Piperea, a lawyer by profession, said that even if the motion fails, it could serve as a valuable political tool. 'There seems to be an unwritten rule that the Commission, and von der Leyen in particular, cannot be held accountable for mistakes or failures. We must end this. In a democracy, there should be accountability, oversight, and responsibility.' The primary driver behind the motion is the ongoing 'Pfizergate' controversy, centred on von der Leyen's refusal to disclose text messages exchanged with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during COVID-19 vaccine negotiations. For this matter, the EU court recently ruled against her. The motion also criticises her handling of legislative affairs, including the withdrawal of environmental proposals without proper consultation with Parliament. Related Commission's Pfizergate loss hailed as 'victory for transparency' The court ruling has amplified criticism of von der Leyen across the political spectrum, with socialists, liberals, and greens voicing concern over her leadership and transparency. According to Piperea, socialist MEPs are also discontented with recent budget cuts to anti-poverty programmes. Nonetheless, the only scenario that could pose a real threat to von der Leyen would likely be a perfect storm, in which a wide range of political groups—including members of her own centre-right European People's Party (EPP)—turn against her for different reasons. The far-right origins of this initiative may deter broader support for it however. A source from The Left group, which has been among the most vocal opponents of von der Leyen and previously filed its own motion of censure, expressed scepticism. 'Some delegations in our group are strongly committed to the cordon sanitaire and avoid cooperation with the ECR,' the source said. 'They've supported Commissioner Fitto during this mandate and didn't back our earlier censure motion. This feels more like a communication stunt.' Piperea acknowledged the ideological roadblocks. 'Some groups aren't fully opposed to the motion itself, but they hesitate simply because it's coming from the right,' he said.
