European Parliament | Motion of no confidence: Left wants to overthrow von der Leyen

The Left Party in the European Parliament has launched a motion of no confidence against EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. According to The Left, the necessary signatures from members of parliament were already collected on Wednesday, the same day von der Leyen delivered her annual State of the EU address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

A recall motion requires the support of at least 72 MPs (ten percent of the 720 members of parliament). The Left holds a total of 46 seats. Members of the Green Party, the Social Democrats, and independents also reportedly support the motion. BSW MP Fabio De Masi stated that he and other party colleagues who do not belong to a parliamentary group also support the proposal—even though they were not asked.

A motion of no confidence against von der Leyen had already been introduced in the European Parliament in June. It was introduced by members of the far-right factions of the "EU People's Representation." They accused the Commission President of mismanagement and opaque drug deals during the coronavirus crisis. To this day, von der Leyen refuses to make her agreements with the US pharmaceutical company Pfizer widely publicized. The motion failed in Parliament, primarily because the vast majority of members of parliament did not want to vote with the far-right.

The Left Party also accuses the Commission President of a lack of transparency. However, she is concerned about much more. "Ms. von der Leyen's policies represent social coldness and economic failure. While millions fear for their jobs and their pensions, she is pushing forward free trade, rearmament, and social cuts," Schirdewan told "nd."

Accordingly, the motion presented to "nd" states that the Commission "accepted an agreement between the EU and the US without a mandate" – referring to the tariff deal – "that harms European interests." The practical exclusion of national parliaments from the ratification process for the free trade agreement between the EU and the Mercosur states is also sharply criticized. Furthermore, The Left condemns the EU's practical inaction regarding Israel's violations of international law in the Middle East . The EU has "failed to suspend the agreement between the EU and Israel or to impose sanctions, unlike the measures taken against Russia," the motion states. The Commission also demonstrates "inability and lack of will to address the worsening social and climate crisis, in particular the negative impacts on social rights and the housing crisis across Europe."

According to various reports, the far-right Patriots for Europe group is also preparing a motion of no confidence against von der Leyen. The group considers the EU Commission's economic policy, in particular, to be misguided. According to reports in Strasbourg, the far-right had already reached the quorum for such a motion on Wednesday.

The European Parliament could consider the motion in October. If it expresses no confidence in von der Leyen, the entire European Commission would have to resign. This would require the votes of two-thirds of MEPs. However, this is unlikely to be achieved – the so-called Ursula coalition stretches from the Conservatives to the Greens. So far, none of the seven motions of no confidence against Commission leaders in EU history have been successful.