Under the leadership of President Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission is set to face a vote of no-confidence in the European Parliament next week. Parliament President Roberta Metsola informed the leaders of the parliamentary groups about this development on Wednesday evening. The debate on the motion will take place on Monday, with the vote scheduled to take place three days later.
Although the vote is largely symbolic, as most parties are opposed to the motion, it highlights the growing frustration in Brussels following several contentious decisions. If the motion were to pass, the Commission, including its president and all 26 EU commissioners, would be required to resign.
The controversy surrounding COVID vaccines is at the center of the motion. Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea, from the right-wing, launched the motion of censure, criticizing von der Leyen for a lack of transparency regarding text messages exchanged with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to The New York Times, personal contact between von der Leyen and Bourla was crucial in securing the EU’s multibillion-euro vaccine deal during the crisis.
The European Union’s General Court recently annulled a European Commission decision that had denied access to those messages for a New York Times journalist. Piperea also accused the Commission of interfering in Romania’s presidential election, in which nationalist George Simion lost to pro-European Nicusor Dan.
However, the European Conservatives and Reformists group, of which Piperea is a member, has distanced itself from the motion. “It’s not an initiative of our group,” an ECR spokesperson said. For the motion to pass, it would require an absolute majority, at least 361 of the 720 votes. While the current Commission is led by von der Leyen, many commissioners serving during the coronavirus pandemic are not expected to be in office following European elections in 2024. Edited by Sean Sinico.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/von-der-leyen-s-european-commission-faces-no-confidence-vote/a-73128322?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
