European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen survived two motions of no-confidence in the European Parliament on Thursday, following accusations ranging from an alleged unfair trade deal with the United States to inaction over Israel.
A total of 594 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) took part in the vote, accounting for 82.5 percent of all 720 members. The first motion was rejected with 179 votes in favor, 378 against, and 37 abstentions. The second motion was also rejected with 133 votes in favor, 383 against, and 78 abstentions.
According to the Parliament's rules, a motion of no confidence can only be adopted if supported by more than two-thirds of the MEPs voting.
The two motions of no-confidence were initiated by the Patriots for Europe group, the Parliament's third-largest political group, and The Left group, respectively.
The Patriots for Europe group accused the European Commission of pursuing environmental policies that have undermined Europe's competitiveness and economic growth, of striking a free-trade agreement with the Southern Common Market, or Mercosur, that places European farmers at an unfair disadvantage, and of concluding a new trade deal with the United States that disregards institutional balance and lacks transparency in negotiations.
The Left group's motion overlaps in part with the Patriots' criticisms, especially concerning the European Union (EU)-Mercosur deal and the EU-U.S. trade agreement. In addition, they condemned the Commission's failure to respond adequately to the climate crisis and social crisis, and denounced its stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict.
This vote marked the second attempt by the European Parliament in three months to pass a motion of no-confidence against the European Commission led by von der Leyen. The previous one took place in July, and it was the first motion of no-confidence tabled against the Commission since 2014.
EU chief survives 2 no-confidence votes
EU chief survives 2 no-confidence votes
