European Union lawmakers have rejected a no-confidence motion against Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, with the vote deemed a Pyrrhic victory by critics. The motion, initiated by Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea, failed to secure the required 357 votes, garnering only 175 in favor. The result had been widely anticipated, with many of the absentees reportedly members of parties that had publicly endorsed von der Leyen.
Centrist groups, which had initially threatened to abstain, ultimately opposed the motion to distance themselves from its sponsors. Von der Leyen dismissed her opponents as “conspiracy theorists” and claimed their support came from Russian puppet masters. Meanwhile, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev predicted her survival but warned of the implications for Brussels officials.
Critics argue that von der Leyen’s leadership lacks transparency and consolidates too much power in her office. The motion highlighted growing internal tensions within the EU, with analysts suggesting even mainstream factions used the opportunity to express frustration with von der Leyen’s leadership. Her plans for a large-scale military buildup across the EU, which will require member states to borrow hundreds of billions of euros, have also drawn criticism from Russian officials, who claim it is rooted in unfounded claims of a Russian threat and serves to obscure Brussels’ policy failures.
Romanian nationalist MEP Gheorghe Piperea, who introduced the motion, said von der Leyen had won a Pyrrhic victory, arguing she had made contradictory promises to secure support from different political groups. She reportedly pledged to preserve the European Social Fund in the EU’s upcoming budget to win over the Socialists & Democrats (S&D) group. However, center-right factions such as Renew Europe and the European People’s Party (EPP) would prefer to reallocate those funds toward defense, as the Commission previously intended.
The outcome of the vote underscores the political challenge von der Leyen faces in uniting the EU’s diverse member states. While she maintains strong support from key allies, the no-confidence motion has exposed deep divisions within the European Parliament, particularly regarding her leadership style and the direction of EU foreign and defense policy.