European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen Survives No-Confidence Vote

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen comfortably survived a no-confidence motion in the European Parliament, with 360 MEPs rejecting the motion and only 175 in favor. The motion was tabled by far-right Romanian MEP over a controversy related to vaccine deals during the Covid-19 pandemic. Von der Leyen's allies, including the European People's Party, Socialists and Democrats, Renew, and Greens, supported her, despite some members giving her a "dig-out through gritted teeth."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen comfortably weathered a no-confidence motion in the European Parliament, with 360 MEPs rejecting the motion and only 175 in favor. The motion, tabled by far-right Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea, was largely driven by controversies related to vaccine deals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite some members giving her a "dig-out through gritted teeth," Von der Leyen's allies, including the European People's Party, Socialists and Democrats, Renew, and Greens, supported her [1].

The vote, which took place in a plenary session at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, was a significant test for Von der Leyen's leadership. The motion, which contained allegations including text messaging privately with the chief executive of vaccine maker Pfizer and misuse of EU funds, was defeated by a margin of 360-175 votes against it, with 18 lawmakers abstaining [2].

The European Parliament's decision to reject the motion underscores the support for Von der Leyen's leadership and the European Commission's role in navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. The vote comes amidst ongoing tensions between the EU and Hungary, with the European Commission having frozen Hungary's access to billions of Euros in EU funds due to democratic backsliding under Viktor Orban's government [2].

Following the vote, Von der Leyen announced a new package of agreements worth €2.3 billion with international and bilateral public financial institutions to support Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction efforts. The package, which aims to mobilize up to €10 billion in investments, reflects the EU's commitment to Ukraine's future and its role as a key investor in the country's recovery [1].

References:
[1] https://www.firstonline.info/en/Ursula-von-der-Leyen%27s-motion-of-no-confidence-rejected-by-the-European-Parliament.-The-FDI-does-not-vote--but-the-League-gives-Zelensky-10-billion-for-Ukraine./
[2] https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/european-commission-president-ursula-von-der-leyen-comfortably-survives-confidence-vote/article69795822.ece