The Association ‘s “no-confidence” vote – a contentious issue that has split lawmakers from the dominant Conservative Party.

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The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group in the European Parliament has been heavily affected and deeply divided by the vote of no-confidence against Ursula von der Leyen’s European Commission.

Within the Conservatives, there is a split between those in favor and those against the censure motion, while all other groups in the Parliament generally follow a common stance.

In ECR, members from Romania’s ultra-nationalist party AUR and Poland’s Law and Justice (PiS) are among the signatories of the motion of censure, reflecting their consistent criticism of von der Leyen and her college.

The largest party in the group, Brothers of Italy, will vote against the motion. Nicola Procaccini, an Italian MEP and co-president of the group, called the motion of censure a “mistake” and a “political gift to our opponents,” and attacked MEPs from PiS and AUR during a plenary debate on the vote of no-confidence.

Procaccini said he wants to “build majorities” in the Parliament, criticizing MEPs from PiS and AUR for not voting against the previous von der Leyen commission, which had implemented policies like the Green Deal and handled the so-called “Pfizergate” controversy.

His speech caused upset within ECR delegations, with some MEPs suggesting that his words could have been directed by Italian Prime Minister and Brothers of Italy leader Giorgia Meloni.

The group sought closer cooperation with the European People’s Party (EPP) in the early months of the new legislature, with Procaccini endorsing this strategy but not all ECR MEPs agreeing with it. They argue a new majority in the European Parliament would require a radical change and a new Commission president.

The no-confidence vote could mean a major setback for Procaccini’s leadership if up to 50 of ECR’s 79 members support the motion. However, sources suggest that despite these divisions, the group is unlikely to collapse, calling it “like an old couple” where staying together would be better than being alone.

Source: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/07/09/how-von-der-leyens-confidence-vote-has-torn-conservatives-in-parliament