Right- and left-wing groups in the European Parliament are preparing separate no-confidence motions against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, officials confirmed on Wednesday, setting the stage for a fresh showdown over her leadership.
Manus Carlisle, press officer for the Left Group, said that his bloc is “currently collecting the signatures necessary” to table the motion.
“I don’t have any numbers for you yet, but we need 72. We can table it at midnight if we have the signatures,” he said.
At the same time, Patriots for Europe — the new far-right group led by Jordan Bardella — announced its own motion of censure. Bardella accused von der Leyen’s Commission of “failing in every area,” citing trade, transparency, and accountability.
“Our group is speaking on behalf of millions of people who rightly believe your Commission no longer defends Europe,” Bardella said. “This motion will provide clarity in October: who still supports Ursula von der Leyen?”
Trade deals at the heart of criticism
Patriots for Europe centred its attack on the EU’s recent trade policy moves, including the Mercosur deal signed in December, which Bardella argued threatens European farmers and consumers by admitting goods that do not meet EU standards.
He also dismissed the EU-US trade framework announced last month as a “political setback” and “capitulation” carried out without a Council mandate.
The group called on MEPs across the political spectrum to back the censure motion, which it said was necessary to “restore accountability, sovereignty, and transparency within the European Union.”
Parliamentary math
Under Parliamentary rules, a censure motion requires 72 signatures if at least two months have passed since the last attempt; otherwise, 144 are needed.
Since the previous motion was tabled on July 10, the current attempts could be filed with 72 signatures starting Wednesday at midnight.
Von der Leyen previously survived a no-confidence vote when 360 MEPs opposed the motion, 175 backed it, and 18 abstained — falling short of the two-thirds majority required to topple the Commission.
That effort had been spearheaded by Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), who criticised von der Leyen for refusing to disclose text messages exchanged with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during EU COVID-19 vaccine negotiations.
A recent Cluster17 survey suggested growing public dissatisfaction, with six in ten Europeans saying von der Leyen should resign after the EU-US trade deal announcement. Nearly 40 percent said they were “very favourable” to her departure, while just 8 percent said they were firmly opposed.
