Strasbourg 10.07.2025 Today the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen survived a no-confidence launched by an initiative group of the 77 Members of the European Parliament.
A majority of members of the European Parliament, who voted on a motion submitted by her critics, backed the Commission president. In case she had lost the vote, von der Leyen and the rest of her Commission would have had to stand down, opening a new chapter in the EU history, establishing the supremacy of democracy over autocracy of von der Leyen. The results of the vote showed that not all the 720 MEPs took part, but 553, with 360 MEPs supporting von der Leyen, 175 voting her out, and 18 abstentions (167 MEPs lost in the woods, preferring not to show up).
Members of the European Parliament have voted on a motion of censure against the European Commission.
With 175 votes in favour, 360 against, and 18 abstentions, the European Parliament rejected the motion.
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— European Parliament (@Europarl_EN) July 10, 2025
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The results of the vote, although in general predictable, were still surprising because the number of opponents have more than doubled. If the non-confidence motion group consisted of 77 MEPs, their initiative was supported by almost hundred members, resulting in 175 votes.
However the procedure was heavily criticked, because the genuine full-fledged debate didn’t take place, altered by the announcements of the positions of the groups.
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⚠️ Motion of no confidence. Ursula von der Leyen is reeling – but critics in parliament are being silenced
I sharply criticized the debate format on the motion of censure against Ursula von der Leyen in plenary. A real debate was refused – instead, only a slimmed-down… pic.twitter.com/bCPrOPErOt
— Christine Anderson (@AndersonAfDMdEP) July 8, 2025
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In spite of the ‘happy end’ for von der Leyen, the problems of her presidency are far from being resolved. First of all, her ‘victory’ looks not convincing in comparison with her predecessor. In 2014 the European Parliament rejected a motion of censure against Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker’s team with 461 votes against, 101 in favour and 88 abstentions. The motion was tabled by 76 EFDD group and non-attached MEPs further to the “Lux leaks” plenary session debate with Mr Juncker.
In Ursula von der Leyen vote the profound changes are obvious, they reveal the increasing political opposition to the Commission president policies, and personal authoritarian style, exposed in full during her SMS scandal, wasting €35bn in an individual, secret, and ill prepared decision.
Von der Leyen have survived the ordeal, and demonstrated her new assertiveness, and even fanaticism, while dabbing the opponents as “extremists”. Her reaction leads to assessment that she would use all possible means to silence the opposition the way she did during pandemic, depriving the EU citizens of their fundamental rights.
Ursula von der Leyen defined her critics as "extremists". What an ego! What an imperial drive!
European Parliament, non-confidence vote. https://t.co/hj8RAnU9x3— Anna van Densky (@AnnaVanDensky) July 10, 2025
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The vote has also demonstrated the fragility of the unnatural coalition of parties which supported von der Leyen’s second term, with the Socialists and Liberals increasingly shifting away from the Commission president.
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