Ursula von der Leyen will face a no-confidence vote in the European Parliament this Thursday, according to several officials.
This comes amid a challenging start to her second term as European Commission president. She is expected to participate in a debate about her leadership with lawmakers in Strasbourg on Monday, with the vote scheduled three days later.
This is the first time in over ten years that a Commission president has faced such a vote. While the outcome is largely symbolic for now—most political groups have already indicated they will oppose the motion—it reflects growing dissatisfaction with her leadership after a series of controversies and scandals.
If the no-confidence motion passes, it would force the entire Commission to resign, triggering the complex process of appointing all 27 European commissioners.
The European Parliament president informed political group leaders about the scheduling on Wednesday evening.
The debate will take place on Monday, when von der Leyen will address the Parliament, followed by statements from political group leaders.
The motion of censure was submitted by a Romanian right-wing lawmaker who collected enough signatures last week to prompt the vote. The motion was sparked by secret text messages from 2021 between von der Leyen and the CEO of a major pharmaceutical company, discussing vaccine delivery in Europe during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some members of von der Leyen’s own European People’s Party and the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists group have withdrawn their support after internal pressure, but the motion still secured the 72 signatures needed to move forward.
Despite recent political tensions—with Socialists and Liberals accusing von der Leyen of aligning with far-right factions to weaken environmental reforms—the EU’s centrist majority, which backs her presidency, has little interest in supporting the no-confidence vote.
