Ursula von der Leyen has survived a no-confidence vote in her leadership of the European Commission. The majority of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) who voted on the motion, submitted by the far-right, supported the Commission President, Politico reports, as relayed by N1 Hrvatska.
With 360 votes against, 175 for, and 18 abstentions, the no-confidence motion against von der Leyen was rejected. A two-thirds majority of the 720 MEPs was required for it to pass.
However, the fierce debate and today’s vote have “opened Pandora’s box,” according to Euronews, suggesting that support for the EU’s top leadership is more fragile than ever.
The European Parliament held the no-confidence vote after 75 MEPs, primarily from the right-wing, gathered the necessary signatures to trigger it. They primarily fault von der Leyen for her refusal to release text messages exchanged with the CEO of the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer during the coronavirus pandemic.
