Ursula von der Leyen: Facing a second no-confidence motion within three months – Trends in the European Parliament

Ursula von der Leyen will look a 2nd no-confidence question successful little than 3 months adjacent week. Despite increasing criticism, centrist MEPs are expected to take stableness implicit ousting her.

Although galore MEPs — including from the center-right European People’s Party (EPP), to which von der Leyen belongs — are becoming progressively captious of her leadership, they are much apt to usage Monday’s plenary statement to aerial their grievances alternatively than broadside with different forces, who are pushing to region her successful Thursday’s vote.

“There are galore reasons to knock Ursula von der Leyen,” said Erik Marquardt, caput of the German Greens successful the European Parliament, speaking to Politico. “But we don’t judge that a successor would needfully beryllium amended than the existent Commission president.”

It is unprecedented for the EU enactment to look 2 no-confidence motions successful specified a abbreviated play (the erstwhile 1 was successful July). This not lone highlights the increasing power of governmental extremes utilizing specified procedures to make turmoil but besides the anxiousness prevailing successful Brussels and crossed Europe implicit the absorption of the Commission nether von der Leyen.

On October 9, 2 abstracted no-confidence votes volition instrumentality place: 1 tabled by the right-wing Patriots for Europe radical and different by The Left, which positions itself adjacent further near than the Socialists & Democrats.

The European Parliament has 719 MEPs. Removing von der Leyen requires a two-thirds bulk of those voting. The Patriots, The Left, and different right-wing radical (ESN) unneurotic clasp 158 seats — good abbreviated of the required fig unless portion of the halfway joins them.

Although determination are signs that centrist MEPs are becoming much critical, according to Politico’s conversations with 11 MEPs and parliamentary officials, this inclination is not beardown capable to topple her.

The 2 groups that submitted the motions successful Strasbourg impeach the Commission president of weakening the EU, lacking transparency, mediocre judgement connected commercialized deals with the U.S. and Latin America, her stance connected Gaza, abandoning farmers, and undermining clime rules.

Even the Socialists, the Renew liberals, the Greens, and the EPP — who supported her predetermination — are present voicing discontent with respective of her decisions.

“Sometimes it’s hard to ‘swallow’ her actions,” said an EPP official. Another EPP MEP noted that von der Leyen is facing “growing opposition” wrong nationalist enactment delegations.

What seems to fuss each governmental groups is the consciousness that von der Leyen is pursuing an docket successful collaboration with nationalist governments, bypassing the European Parliament.

The erstwhile no-confidence motion, submitted earlier the summertime by the Polish and Romanian delegations of the European Conservatives and Reformists, failed to unafraid the required bulk but showed the Commission’s constricted support: retired of 719 MEPs, lone 553 voted, with 175 against von der Leyen.

In July, though galore centrist MEPs expressed disappointment with her leadership, they either abstained (11), were absent (86), oregon voted successful her favour (355), viewing the question arsenic a right-wing effort to make chaos. Only 2 centrist MEPs voted against her.

This time, however, much MEPs look consenting to backmost the no-confidence question tabled by The Left. The Patriots are besides expected to join, with their person Jordan Bardella, Marine Le Pen’s protégé, announcing their enactment contempt ideological differences.

Based connected erstwhile voting patterns and aboriginal signals from nationalist delegations, Politico estimates that immoderate members of the European Conservatives and Reformists volition besides enactment the motion.

In the worst-case script for the Commission president, the Socialists, Renew, and Greens who did not enactment her successful July could present bolster the “anti-Leyen” front.

Even then, however, von der Leyen would look astatine astir 305 votes against her — acold abbreviated of the 480 required to region her if each MEPs vote.