No-Confidence Motion Against Von der Leyen Faces Opposition in European Parliament
A no-confidence motion against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is encountering significant opposition from major political factions in the European Parliament. The center-right European People’s Party (EPP), the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), and the liberal Renew Europe have collectively confirmed their intention to vote against the motion. The Greens are also expected to refrain from supporting such a far-right initiative, reports 24brussels.
Iratxe García Pérez, chair of the S&D group, stated, “We won’t support any extreme-right initiative.” This sentiment reflects a broader consensus among the left-leaning parties, with lawmakers from The Left group indicating they are likely to oppose the motion as well. A spokesperson for the group noted, “We don’t work with the far-right groups who have been lately de facto supporting von der Leyen’s agenda and then pretending to be mad at her.”
The no-confidence motion has attracted backing from MEPs affiliated with the far-right Patriots for Europe and Europe of Sovereign Nations groups. Some support has also emerged from within the EPP, particularly from Slovenian delegates, who previously voted against von der Leyen’s re-election in the summer of last year.
Despite this, the EPP, von der Leyen’s own party, has firmly denounced the no-confidence vote as “irresponsible” and detrimental to the democratic process, emphasizing their commitment to the voters who elected them just one year ago. The party’s leadership remains steadfast in its support for von der Leyen amid the political turmoil.
