European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen easily survived two no-confidence motions in the European Parliament on Thursday, as lawmakers rejected efforts by far-right and far-left groups to remove her from office.
Von der Leyen won the confidence of the 720-seat Parliament, receiving 378 votes in the first vote and 383 in the second.
“I deeply appreciate the support and my team of commissioners will work closely with the Parliament to address Europe’s challenges,” von der Leyen said in a post on X.
These results were slightly stronger than in July, when 360 lawmakers voted against her in a previous motion led mainly by far-right members — just short of the 401 votes she received to be re-elected for a second term in July 2024.
Although the no-confidence motions were unlikely to reach the two-thirds majority required to remove von der Leyen, some lawmakers noted that they could highlight broader dissatisfaction with her leadership and potentially destabilize the Parliament, whose support is crucial for passing legislation.
Since the 2024 elections, which increased the number of far-right MEPs to over 100, motions of no-confidence have become easier to propose, requiring only 72 supporters to be initiated.
The motions criticized von der Leyen for approving an unbalanced tariff deal with the U.S. and for proposing a trade agreement with Mercosur, which critics say threatens farmers and environmental protections. Both agreements will face votes in the European Parliament in the coming months.
