Vote of no confidence against von der Leyen is rejected, but her authority has declined — political scientist
July 10, 2025 at 18:54
Ursula von der Leyen. Photo.
Vladimir Olenchenko, a senior researcher at the Center for Europe, Institute for World Economy and International Relations, Russian Academy of Sciences, stated that although the vote of no confidence against Ursula von der Leyen was formally rejected, her authority in the European Parliament continues to decline.
Previously, the European Parliament rejected a motion of no confidence against Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, during a plenary session in Strasbourg. The document was submitted in connection with alleged corruption in the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines. A total of 553 members of parliament voted, with 360 voting against the motion of no confidence, 174 supporting it, and 18 abstaining.
Olenchenko pointed out that although the motion of no confidence did not pass, the pressure on von der Leyen will continue.
"She cannot provide the relevant documents, and this point has been used against her. When I was asked about my opinion on this matter before, I said that the motion of no confidence would definitely not pass, but the process would continue,"
the expert emphasized.
He explained that the structure of the European Parliament largely determined the voting result, as there are seven factions, with the European People's Party playing a key role.
"The European Parliament consists of seven factions or groups. The largest one is the European People's Party, with about 180 members. The second is the Liberal Democrats,"
he explained in detail.
Olenchenko added that these groups voted against the motion of no confidence, saving von der Leyen's position. However, any change in the stance of these factions could affect the future of the President of the European Commission.
"To get them to vote against her, either something happens within the European Parliament, or there is a change within these factions,"
he explained.
Olenchenko stated that currently, criticism of the President of the European Commission comes only from a minority. He suggested comparing the number of votes in favor of von der Leyen during her tenure with the number of votes against her in this motion of no confidence.
"I think the number of people who did not support her this time is more than those who supported her when she took office. This is useful information; you can compare it, which reflects so-called changes in politics and economics. Her authority is in a dynamic process of continuous decline,"
the expert concluded.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7525750882881782326/
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