EU's von der Leyen survives parliament confidence vote

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has survived a no-confidence vote in the European Parliament, overcoming accusations of secrecy and mismanagement by far-right lawmakers.

The motion, initiated by far-right lawmakers, accused her and her Commission of undermining public trust in the EU through alleged unlawful actions and opaque decision-making.

The vote failed to reach the required two-thirds majority, with only 175 Members of Parliament supporting it, 360 voting against, and 18 abstaining. It marked the first time since 2014 that a Commission president has faced such a censure motion.

The motion was spearheaded by Romanian nationalist Gheorghe Piperea, who criticized von der Leyen's refusal to disclose text messages exchanged with Pfizer's CEO during the COVID-19 vaccine negotiations.

Von der Leyen strongly defended her leadership, particularly during the pandemic, arguing that her actions ensured equal vaccine distribution across all EU member states.

Despite the motion's expected failure, it was a symbolic political challenge at a critical time for von der Leyen, as her administration works to prevent looming U.S. tariffs in trade talks with President Donald Trump’s administration.

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