Ursula von der Leyen defended the record of her past and present European Commission teams during Monday’s Strasbourg EP plenary session. Banking on support of the European People’s Party, she framed the motion of no-confidence as extremist before Thursday’s vote.
If hyperbole were food, grandstanding a CO2 vacuum, and animosity ammunition, Africa would be fed, the atmosphere scrubbed clean, and Ukraine’s borders at the Urals by dawn. The European Parliament’s plenary session convened in Strasbourg on Monday late afternoon to deliver a stinging rebuke to Ursula von der Leyen and the entire European Commission for what they see as an arrogant power grab.
Outcome not in doubt
Ms von der Leyen resorted to legal trickery in the so-called PfizerGate, failing to disclose the contents of her text messages with the CEO of Pfizer concerning vaccines procurement at the height of the covid-19 crisis. The Commission side-stepped the Parliament by invoking Article 122 this past spring. It allowed the executive to adopt the SAFE Regulation to free €150 bn to “support those member states that wish to invest in defence industrial production through common procurement“ without parliamentary consent.
Avoiding debate and decisions of the European Parliament is the reason why the European Parliament decided to sue the Commission, which is unique in the history of the European Union. – MEP Gheorghe Piperea
This prompted MEP Gheorghe Piperea (ECR/ROM) to call for a censure motion and to muster just enough MEP signatures to push it onto the plenary stage. Whatever the merits of the respective cases, the outcome of Thursday’s vote has never been in serious doubt. The EPP, the Parliament’s biggest faction, immediately signalled her support for Ms von der Leyen. With the Socialists and Renew Europe grudgingly willing to play along, and the Conservatives split, Monday’s plenary debate thus provided MEPs with little more than an opportunity to vent their frustrations at anyone in sight.
Constitutional necessity
As it turned out, frustrations abounded on all sides. Mr Piperea fired the first salvo. He framed the censure motion as a constitutional necessity, condemning the Commission’s refusal to comply with the European Court of Justice’s (ECJ) so-called PfizerGate ruling, which found the Commission’s vaccine procurement process legally flawed. He accused the institution of centralising power in an opaque, undemocratic manner, stating: “Avoiding debate and decisions of the European Parliament is the reason why the European Parliament decided to sue the Commission, which is unique in the history of the European Union.”
Highlighting economic disparities, he pointed to Romania’s struggles with inflation and misuse of EU recovery funds: “The fragmentation of the common market and double standards have increased the differences between member states… The little money Romania attracted from the resilience mechanism has been used not for its development.”
Once he was at it, Mr Piperea also warned of social unrest driven by “inflation that is out of control, (creating) a social bomb” and migration pressures on poorer nations. To that end, he referenced “what is happening now at the border between Germany and Poland.”
You might be interested
Strength through unity
Ms von der Leyen took the floor right afterwards. She dismissed the motion as extremist fearmongering, defending her Commission’s pandemic response. Recalling Europe’s solidarity during covid-19, she said: “None of us will forget the tragic images of military trucks rolling through Bergamo at night, piled up with dead bodies… but we delivered vaccines to all, east or west, big or small.”
None of us will forget the tragic images of military trucks rolling through Bergamo at night, piled up with dead bodies… but we delivered vaccines to all, east or west, big or small. – Ursula von der Leyen, EC President
She rejected claims of secretive vaccine contracts, stressing that “every single contract negotiated was examined in detail in the capitals before being signed by each of the 27 member states… There were no secrets, hidden clauses, or an obligation to buy.”
Addressing the motion’s backers, she warned: “This motion spins debunked conspiracies… Movements fueled by anti-vaxxers and Putin apologists threaten our unity.” Closing with a call for sorely lacked concord and harmony, she asserted: “Europe must. Show. Strength. This strength only comes through our unity.”
Putin will like this
As expected, the Commission found vocal support in the EPP. MEP Manfred Weber (EPP/GE) condemned the motion as pro-Russian sabotage, declaring: “Putin will like it, what his friends are doing here… This motion of censure is against the security of Europeans.” Defending the EPP’s democratic mandate, he stated: “Von der Leyen is Commission president because EPP won the elections… not negotiated behind closed door.”
Mr Weber criticised far-right hypocrisy, asking: “Where are Orban and Salvini to save European jobs? They’re Putin’s puppets.” Acknowledging internal divisions, he noted: “In seven per cent of votes, the left and far right teamed up against us… The EPP will take the people’s concern in the center of politics.” He concluded by praising the Commission’s work on tariffs and defence, urging focus on public concerns about migration and competitiveness.
Respect your word
Speaking next, MEP Iratxe García Pérez (S&D/ES) rejected the motion as a far-right assault on EU values, declaring: “The far right does not want a better Europe. It wants there to be no Europe.”
But she reserved a healthy portion of her wrath for the EPP, condemning the group’s dalliance with radicals: “How can we build Europe with climate deniers, those who despise science, or allies of Putin and Netanyahu?”
Addressing Ms von der Leyen, she accused the Commission of capitulating to far-right pressure: “Why did you announce your intention to withdraw the Green Claims Directive one day after the People’s Party and the far right demanded it in a letter?… Respect your word.” She vowed resistance: “Our response will be more Europe, not less. More democracy, not less. More justice, not less.”
Don‘t take pro-Europeans for granted
MEP Valérie Hayer (Renew/FR), speaking on behalf of her group, struck a similar note. She criticised the EPP’s alliances with the far right, demanding clarity of the Commission: “Who are your real allies? You must choose… Stop blocking the ethics body.”
She urged institutional reform: “The Commission is centralized. It’s stiff. It’s not agile… Don’t take pro-Europeans for granted—get your house in order.” Highlighting policy stagnation, she called for action on capital markets and child protection: “Deliver on reforms—stop the games.”
Our response will be more Europe, not less. More democracy, not less. More justice, not less. – MEP Iratxe García Pérez
The Conservatives were split (and are to enjoy free vote on the matter Thursday). MEP Nicola Procaccini (ECR/IT), while ackowledging he could not speak for the entire faction, dismissed the motion’s timing as politically opportunistic. “Why table this now? Because someone wanted his 15 minutes of fame.” Questioning the motion’s credibility, he noted: “Why didn’t they censure the last Commission, which produced PfizerGate? Because it’s convenient now.”
The usual suspects
The other factions acted just as predictably. MEP Fabrice Leggeri (PfE/FR) accused Ms von der Leyen of authoritarian governance, citing PfizerGate as emblematic of systemic abuse: “PfizerGate is not an administrative error—it is a question of abuse of power… negotiated by SMS, without a call for tenders, without a mandate, without transparency.”
He criticised the Green Deal’s impact on industries: “Farmers see it as strangulation… Your Europe would sign Mercosur behind citizens’ backs.” Framing the censure vote as a demand for accountability, he declared: “The people need a Europe they identify with… not an all-powerful Commission.”
MEP Bas Eickhout (Greens-EFA/NL) was equally disenchanted, albeit for the opposite reasons. He accused the far right of hypocrisy on transparency: “When we sued for vaccine contracts, where were they? Silent.” Condemning EPP collaboration with extremists, he warned: “You’re feeding the beast… At some point, the beast will eat you.” Rejecting far-right influence, he asserted: “There’s no right-wing majority without extremists… Let’s work with pro-European democrats to deliver a green economy.”
Five years of madness
MEP Martin Schirdewan (The Left/GE) linked von der Leyen’s policies to democratic erosion: “Your untransparency fuels extremists… Gaza burns, and you say nothing.” He condemned militarism and austerity: “Your diplomacy enriches arms firms while cutting public services… The Green Deal is now a climate catastrophe.”
Your Europe would sign Mercosur behind citizens’ backs. – MEP Fabrice Leggeri
MEP René Aust (ESN/GE) catalogued von der Leyen’s alleged failures across her political career: “Well, wherever Ursula von der Leyen is given responsibilities, harm follows in her wake… As defence minister, she left Europe unfit to defend itself.” Criticising the Green Deal, he said: “Five years of madness cost jobs… deindustrialization in large parts of Europe.” Closing with a call for her removal, he declared: “On Thursday, we shall send you to your undeserved retirement, Mrs von der Leyen.“
The vote on Mrs von der Leyens aforementioned retirement, deserved or otherwise, is to begin on Thursday at noon.
