Latest news with #Piperea
Observer
3 days ago
- Politics
- Observer
EU chief von der Leyen comfortably survives confidence vote
STRASBOURG: EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday comfortably saw off a no-confidence vote in the European Parliament — but the rare challenge has exposed frictions between her backers and complaints about her leadership style. 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 afterwards. "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 had 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 accused 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 has also been a growing refrain from the commission chief's traditional allies on the left and centre, who largely backed von der Leyen, but used the vote to air their grievances. One major complaint from her critics 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. Iratxe Garcia Perez, the head of the centre-left Socialists and Democrats, said the group's support did not "mean that we are not critical of the European Commission". Its shift towards the far-right was "a major cause for alarm", she added. "The motion of censure against the European Commission has been overwhelmingly rejected," centrist leader Valerie Hayer wrote on X. "But our support for von der Leyen is not unconditional." "Pfizergate" aside, Romania's Piperea accused 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 was supported by some groups on the left and part of the far right — including the party of Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban. But Piperea's own group, the ECR, was split on the question. Its largest faction, the party of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni that did not back the motion. — AFP
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
EU chief von der Leyen comfortably survives confidence vote
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday comfortably saw off a no-confidence vote in the European Parliament -- but the rare challenge has exposed frictions between her backers and complaints about her leadership style. 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 afterwards. "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 had 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 accused 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 has also been a growing refrain from the commission chief's traditional allies on the left and centre, who largely backed von der Leyen, but used the vote to air their grievances. - 'Not unconditional' - One major complaint from her critics 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. Iratxe Garcia Perez, the head of the centre-left Socialists and Democrats, said the group's support did not "mean that we are not critical of the European Commission". Its shift towards the far-right was "a major cause for alarm", she added. "The motion of censure against the European Commission has been overwhelmingly rejected," centrist leader Valerie Hayer wrote on X. "But our support for von der Leyen is not unconditional." "Pfizergate" aside, Romania's Piperea accused 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 was supported by some groups on the left and part of the far right -- including the party of Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban. But Piperea's own group, the ECR, was split on the question. Its largest faction, the party of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni that did not back the motion. ub-del/jj
Bangkok Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- Bangkok Post
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen comfortably survives confidence vote
STRASBOURG — European Union (EU) chief Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday comfortably saw off a no-confidence vote in the European Parliament -- but the rare challenge has exposed frictions between her backers and complaints about her leadership style. Lawmakers in Strasbourg rejected the censure motion -- launched by the far-right over the European Commission president's handling of coronavirus disease (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 was not at the parliament for the vote, wrote on X, formerly called Twitter, afterwards. "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 had 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 accused 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 has also been a growing refrain from the commission chief's traditional allies on the left and centre, who largely backed von der Leyen, but used the vote to air their grievances. 'Not unconditional' One major complaint from her critics 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. Iratxe Garcia Perez, the head of the centre-left Socialists and Democrats, said the group's support did not "mean that we are not critical of the European Commission". Its shift towards the far-right was "a major cause for alarm", she added. "The motion of censure against the European Commission has been overwhelmingly rejected," centrist leader Valerie Hayer wrote on X. "But our support for von der Leyen is not unconditional." "Pfizergate" aside, Romania's Piperea accused 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 was supported by some groups on the left and part of the far right -- including the party of Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban. But Piperea's own group, the ECR, was split on the question.
MTV Lebanon
3 days ago
- Politics
- MTV Lebanon
EU chief 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 Parliament. Although 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 ago. Confidence votes of this kind are rare and the last one was tabled against Jean-Claude Juncker more than a decade ago. Two-thirds 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. The 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 motion. In 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 groups. However, 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 parties. Valérie 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 budget. As 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.
DW
3 days ago
- Politics
- DW
EU's von der Leyen sails through no-confidence vote – DW – 07/10/2025
Ursula von der Leyen, the EU's most powerful official, coasted to victory after a no-confidence vote on Thursday. Some of her centrist supporters used the motion to air grievances and secure policy promises. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen easily survived a motion of censure from the far right of the European Parliamenton Thursday, though the dressing down she took from her would-be political partners in the process is probably a bigger concern. 360 parliamentarians backed the German center-right EU official in the no-confidence vote, 18 abstained, and 175 voted against her. More than 160 members of parliament (MEPs) did not show up to vote. 'In a moment of global volatility and unpredictability, the EU needs strength, vision and the capacity to act,' von der Leyen said in a post on X after the vote. 'Thank you, and long live Europe,' she wrote. That follows her speech to lawmakers on Monday, in which she hit out at far-right MEP Gheorghe Piperea, who initiated the no-confidence motion. "It is taken right from the oldest playbook of extremists, polarizing society, eroding trust in democracy," she said. Last week, Piperea's motion garnered some 75 signatures from within the 720-seat house, meeting the low threshold to be considered. Piperea has been a member of the EU parliament since July 2024, representing Romania's Alianta pentru Unirea Romanilor (AUR), part of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group. "We can follow Mr Piperea down his world of conspiracies and alleged sinister plots… or we can clearly call this out for what it is: another crude attempt to drive a wedge between our institutions," von der Leyen said on Monday. The no-confidence motion hit out at, among other things, the long-standing transparency concerns over the negotiation of colossal EU contracts for Covid-19 vaccines. Had it passed, the bloc's most powerful official would have been ejected from office along with 26 other members of the European Commission. Piperea criticized von der Leyen for text messages exchanged with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the so-called Pfizergate scandal, a recent ruling by the EU General Court, found the European Commission's reasoning for denying a New York Times journalist access to those texts was unfounded. On Monday, von der Leyen hit back: "Every single contract negotiated was examined in detail in the capitals before being signed by each of the 27 member states," she said. "There were no secrets, no hidden clauses, no obligation to buy for member states." Piperea's own political faction was divided on the vote, with group leader Nicola Procaccini distancing himself from the move on Monday, calling it a "mistake." It may have been Piperea who initiated the showdown, but the center-left groups — the Social Democrats, the Greens, and Liberal Renew Europe — used the occasion to air their grievances and secure policy promises from the EU's executive. The center-left Socialists and Democrats group claimed a victory on plans to keep a funding pot for social spending in the EU's next seven-year budget. 'Today the S&D Group achieved a major win for the people across Europe,' the political faction said on X. 'Our battle for social inclusion continues!' For months, lawmakers have been growing agitated at what they see as cooperation between von der Leyen's own European People's Party with traditional right-wing group and far-right members. For example, late last year, the EPP voted together with far-right members on a budgetary resolution concerning EU funding for border fences. Left-wing lawmakers also accuse von der Leyen of backsliding on her landmark Green Deal climate goals, with a recent push to ease the bureaucratic burden associated with several laws and generally sidelining the entire institution of the parliament. "This is one big political show of the far right, to undermine democracy, to undermine our Europe, to undermine European democracy," Greens chair Bas Eickhout said. "[But] you are feeding that beast, and at a certain moment, the beast will eat you." Valerie Hayer of the Liberals told von der Leyen to "get a grip so that we can work together with you to achieve what we jointly wish to achieve." European elections last year left von der Leyen with no clear majority, but she was narrowly reconfirmed for a second term in office after pitching to work with centrist pro-European parties. Sophia Russack of the Center for European Policy Studies, told DW ahead of the vote that similar votes in the past have caused very little political damage. "The last motion of censure was in 2014 with [former European Commission President Jean-Claude] Juncker," the expert on EU affairs said. "That didn't damage him at all. He sailed through." Von der Leyen reached out to the political center on Monday, "addressing all pro-European, pro-democracy forces in this house." "I know that we do not agree on every detail of every proposal… and I cannot promise that we will always agree on everything in the future. But what I can promise is that we will always be ready to work for compromise and work for unity."
