Ursula von der Leyen, the target of a censorship motion initiated by gold in the European Parliament / What are the arguments of the motion and what chances the vote has

Although it will probably survive the motion initiated by the MEP Gheorghe Piperea, at the vote that will probably take place next month, the situation could force Von Der Leyen to make more compromises with both the left and right, to secure their support, writes Financial Times.

The President of the European Commission Ursula von Der Leyen is facing a censure motion in the European Parliament, following the scandal related to the messages sent to the director of Pfizer during the Covid Pandema, a problem that, believes the Financial Times, threatens to compromise the political agenda for the second term.

The deputies of the radical right in the European Parliament announced that they had sufficient support for the vote requesting the commission's resignation, after an EU court decided that the way Ursula von Der Leyen managed private messages with the director of Pfizer – refusing to publish their content – was incorrect.

Although it will probably survive the vote, which could take place next month, the situation could force Von Der Leyen to make more compromises with both the left and right, to ensure their support.

What chances does the motion have

The MEP Gold Gheorghe Piperea told the Financial Times that he would submit the motion on Thursday, after gathering the necessary signatures – at least 72.

“The initiative is essentially aimed at maintaining transparency and ensuring a fair and authentic democratic process,” he said.

Although the threshold for triggering a censorship motion is low, the dismissal of Von Der Leyen and the Commission would need more than two thirds of the present MEPs.

The European legislature has 720 members, and 401 of them voted for Von Der Leyen's confirmation at the presidency of the European Executive last year.

Piperea claimed that some members of the President's political group, the European People's Party (EPP), claim its initiative.

He acknowledged that the chances of success are reduced, but said that it offers “a crucial opportunity for a constructive and founded criticism of the president of Ursula von der Leyen.

“This obliges the Commission to approach the concerns and provide justifications,” he said.

Censorship motions are rare, but can have serious consequences. In 1999, Jacques Santer's team resigned because of accusations of fraud and lack of transparency, although he had gained a vote of confidence.

Since then there have been only four such votes, and none has succeeded.

Pfizergate problem

Piperea's motion, writes the Financial Times, aims at the so-called Pfizergate process against Von Der Leyen, but also criticizes the way the chairman of the Commission deals with Parliament, a complaint shared by the centrist and left European Parliament, who claim that it bypasses the only chosen institution of the block and is too understanding.

In May, the EU Court pronounced against the commission in a dispute on the publication of text messages between Von Der Leyen and the executive director of Pfizer, Albert Bourla, during negotiations to provide vaccines against Covid, in 2021.

The New York Times filed the process after Von Der Leyen's team refused to reveal the messages.

The court rejected the commission's arguments and said that the decision not to reveal the messages “violated the principle of good administration.”

“The Court considered that the refusal of the Commission is not legal and lacking in a credible justification,” said Piperea.

“These actions demonstrate a continuous model of overcoming institutional skills, ignoring democracy and erosion of public trust in the governance of the Union,” he said.

A difficult time for von der leyen

Von Der Leyn is currently facing criticisms in several directions.

Progressive MEPs opened a new front last week, when the Commission said they intend to withdraw a directive against the so-called “Greenwashing”, just a few days before the Parliament and the Member States reach a final agreement in this regard.

The Directive was proposed in March 2023 and intended to prevent companies from misleading consumers with unfounded statements that their products and services are good for the planet.

The Directive had become the latest target of the anti-ecological campaign promoted by Von Der Leyen's political-right political group.

The socialists, the second political group in the Parliament, and the liberals Renew, now the fifth group, wrote a common letter to the President of the Parliament, Roberta Metsola, asking them to raise the problem in front of Von Der Leyen and the EU leaders at Thursday.

The Parliament, they claim, must “be consulted properly, in accordance with the principle of sincere cooperation”, whenever a law is eliminated.

“We also consider that the responsible commissioners should be convened before the respective commissions to explain their intentions,” said the two groups.

The green, who supported Von Der Leyen, also attacked this measure.

Some EU capitals also expressed their disagreement, arguing that the last-minute withdrawal undermines the credibility of the EU legislative process, according to diplomats close to the negotiations.

Piperea accuses constant ignorance of democratic control

Separately, the members of the Legal Commission on Wednesday voted to ask Metsola to challenge the exclusion of Parliament in the SAFE decision -making process – a financial tool worth 150 billion euros in the form of loans to stimulate the defense industry.

Piperea's motion also mentions this alleged “procedural abuse”.

He “asks the European Commission to resign due to repeated failures in ensuring transparency, constant ignorance of democratic control and the rule of law within the Union.”