EU President Ursula von der Leyen successfully navigated two confidence votes on Thursday in the European Parliament, showcasing the “solid backing” she enjoys from the assembly despite the evident tensions brought to light by the challenges.
The censure motions targeting the President of the European Commission were initiated by the extreme left and far-right factions, citing grievances over transparency issues and disapproval of her trade strategies.
Both motions failed to garner the required minimum of 361 votes out of 720. The far-right Patriots’ challenge received 179 votes of support, while The Left’s motion obtained 133 votes.
These challenges underscored the escalating dissatisfaction with von der Leyen’s leadership and put to the test the unity of the coalition spearheaded by her conservative European People’s Party (EPP).
Von der Leyen interpreted the outcome as a vote of confidence in her team, with a substantial majority of the assembly rejecting the confidence motions.
Expressing gratitude, the EU President stated, “I am truly grateful for the robust backing shown today,” on X.
Regarding the Patriots’ motion, 378 lawmakers opposed it, with 37 abstentions, while an even higher number, 383, rejected The Left’s motion, with 78 lawmakers abstaining.