Latest news with #GheorghePiperea
Free Malaysia Today
10-07-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
EU's von der Leyen survives parliament confidence vote
European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen defended her record in parliament, rejecting criticism of her management of the Covid-19 pandemic. (AFP pic) BRUSSELS : European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen survived a no-confidence vote in the European Parliament today, tabled by mainly far-right lawmakers who alleged she and her team undermined trust in the EU through unlawful actions. As expected, the motion failed to get the two-thirds majority it needed to pass. Only 175 members of parliament backed the motion, while 360 voted against and 18 abstained. Romanian nationalist Gheorghe Piperea, the lead sponsor of the motion, had criticised, among other things, the commission's refusal to disclose text messages between von der Leyen and the chief executive of vaccine maker Pfizer during the Covid-19 pandemic. 'The decision-making has become opaque and discretionary, and raises fears of abuse and corruption. 'The cost of obsessive bureaucracy of the EU, such as (tackling) climate change, has been a huge one,' Piperea told the parliament on Monday. During the debate on her leadership, von der Leyen defended her record in parliament, rejecting criticism of her management of the pandemic and asserting that her approach ensured equal vaccine access across the EU. Although the censure motion had little chance of success, it was a political headache for von der Leyen as her commission negotiates with US President Donald Trump's administration to try to prevent steep US tariffs on EU goods. It was the first time since 2014 that a commission president has faced such a motion. Then president Jean-Claude Juncker also survived the vote.
BBC News
10-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen survives rare confidence vote
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has survived a confidence vote tabled by a far-right faction in the European the outcome was not a surprise, the fact that it came about at all was not a positive signal for von der Leyen, who began her second term as Commission chief only a year votes of this kind are rare and the last one was tabled against Jean-Claude Juncker more than a decade of all 720 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) - or 480 - would have had to back the motion for it to pass. Instead, only 175 voted in favour; 360 voted against and 18 abstained. The remaining MEPs did not vote was initiated by Romanian far-right MEP Gheorghe Piperea, who accused von der Leyen of a lack of transparency over text messages she sent to the head of Pfizer during negotiations to secure Covid-19 vaccines. The text of the motion said that von der Leyen's Commission could no longer be trusted to "uphold the principles of transparency, accountability, and good governance essential to a democratic Union".During a fierce debate on Monday von der Leyen slammed her accusers as "conspiracy theorists". Hitting back at Piperea and what she called "his world of conspiracies and alleged sinister plots", she said he and his cohort were "extremists", "anti-vaxxers" and "Putin apologists".She also said the accusations against her over so-called Pfizergate were "simply a lie."Piperea had the backing of figures such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who posted on X a photo of von der Leyen alongside the caption "Time to go".But his own European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group was split.A sizeable portion of the ECR is made up by Brothers of Italy (FdI), the party of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. FdI has been fostering a good relationship with von der Leyen and its MEPs voted against the the end the votes in favour came primarily from the far-right groups Patriots for Europe (PfE) and the European of Sovereign Nations (ENS).Von der Leyen survived the vote thanks to the support of her own centre-right European People's Party (EPP), the Socialist & Democrats (S&D), the liberal Renew, the Greens and left-wing the days in the lead-up to the vote saw several groupings caveat their support with gripes over von der Leyen's leadership. Over the last year her centre-right EPP has increasingly teamed up with the far-right to pass amendments and resolutions on issues like migration and the environment, often irking liberals and left-wing Hayer, president of the centrist Renew Europe, echoed the sentiment, warning von der Leyen that her group's support was "not guaranteed" and urging the Commission chief to "take back control" of the EPP and end "alliances with the far right."Ahead of the vote Iratxe García, leader of the S&D, said dismantling the Commission in the midst of geopolitical crisis would have been "irresponsible". "Our vote doesn't mean that we are not critical of the European Commission," García said, citing "the recent shifts by von der Leyen towards far-right pledges."Earlier this week there was a suggestion that the S&D might abstain from the vote, but were eventually persuaded to back von der Leyen after she reportedly ruled out cuts to social programmes in the upcoming the vote against her leadership was taking place, Von der Leyen was giving a speech at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome. Shortly after the motion was turned down, however, she posted on X: "As external forces seek to destabilise and divide us, it is our duty to respond in line with our values.""Thank you, and long live Europe," she added.
France 24
10-07-2025
- Politics
- France 24
EU chief von der Leyen survives confidence vote by large margin
Lawmakers in Strasbourg rejected the censure motion -- launched by the far-right over the European Commission president's handling of Covid vaccine contracts -- by 360 to 175 in a widely expected result. "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 after the vote. "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." Addressing parliament earlier this week, von der Leyen had dismissed the initiative as a conspiracy theory-laden attempt to divide Europe, slamming its supporters as "anti-vaxxers" and "apologists" for Russian President Vladimir Putin. She urged lawmakers to renew confidence in her commission arguing it was critical for Europe to show unity in the face of an array of challenges, from US trade talks to Russia's war in Ukraine. The no-confidence motion was initiated by Romanian far-right lawmaker Gheorghe Piperea. He accuses von der Leyen of a lack of transparency over text messages she sent to the head of the Pfizer pharmaceutical giant when negotiating Covid vaccines. The commission's failure to release the messages -- the focus of multiple court cases -- has given weight to critics who accuse its boss of centralised and opaque decision-making. That is also a growing refrain from the commission chief's traditional allies on the left and centre, who have used the vote to air their grievances. Mainstream backing A major complaint is that von der Leyen's centre-right camp has increasingly teamed up with the far-right to further its agenda -- most notably to roll back environmental rules. "The motion of censure against the European Commission has been overwhelmingly rejected," centrist leader Valerie Hayer wrote on X after the vote. "But our support for von der Leyen is not unconditional." "Pfizergate" aside, Romania's Piperea accuses the commission of interfering in his country's recent presidential election, in which pro-European Nicusor Dan narrowly beat EU critic and nationalist George Simion. That vote came after Romania's constitutional court scrapped an initial ballot over allegations of Russian interference and massive social media promotion of the far-right frontrunner, who was barred from standing again. Piperea's challenge is unlikely to succeed. It has support from some groups on the left and part of the far right -- including the party of Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban. "Time to go," Orban tweeted on Wednesday alongside a photo of von der Leyen. But Piperea's own group, the ECR, is split. Its largest faction, the party of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, said it would back the EU chief. The two largest groups in parliament, the centre-right EPP and the centre-left Socialists and Democrats,also flatly rejected the challenge, which needed two-thirds of votes cast, representing a majority of all lawmakers to pass. © 2025 AFP
Irish Times
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Ursula von der Leyen survives rare censure vote in European Parliament
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has survived a rare vote of censure in the European Parliament . Ms Von der Leyen had been expected to comfortably survive Thursday's vote, which in theory could have triggered the downfall of her commission. The motion failed to get the two-thirds majority it needed to pass. The debate leading up to the vote lifted the lid on simmering discontent among centrist, centre-left and green MEPs, who voted the German back into office just under a year ago after rightwing nationalists had their best-ever European election results. The motion of censure – tabled by the far-right, vaccine-sceptic Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea – was ostensibly about Ms von der Leyen's refusal to release text messages exchanged with the Pfizer chief executive at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Her stonewalling on the SMS messages has been condemned by the EU's highest court and described as 'maladministration' by an independent watchdog. The motion also included criticism of the EU's Covid-19 recovery funds and the legal basis of a €150 billion defence fund, as well as unsubstantiated claims of interference in recent elections in Germany and Romania. In a pugnacious performance at the European parliament on Monday, Ms von der Leyen derided 'false claims about election meddling' and attempts to 'rewrite history' on 'how Europe successfully overcame a global pandemic together'. During her speech she cast the motion squarely as part of 'an age of struggle between democracy and illiberalism'. Referring to extremist parties 'fuelled by conspiracies, from anti-vaxxers to Putin apologists', she said: 'And you only have to look at some of the signatories of this motion to understand what I mean.' But behind the scenes, her officials are worried that a large number of no-shows and abstentions on the vote from mainstream groups could damage her standing.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
EU Parliament censure vote leaves von der Leyen weakened, even in victory
As the European Parliament prepares on Thursday 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. 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.
