The motion of censure against the European Commission initiated by the Romanian MEP from the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR) Gheorghe Piperea failed to pass in the vote held on Thursday in the EP plenary session in Strasbourg.
There were 175 votes in favor, 360 against the motion, and 18 abstentions.
A total of 553 MEPs were present for the vote.
The vote on the motion took place by roll call. To be adopted, a two-thirds majority of the votes cast (361 votes) representing the majority of the members composing the Parliament would have been required.
On June 26, 2025, MEP Gheorghe Piperea (AUR, ECR group) officially submitted a motion of censure against the European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, to the European Parliament. The initiative was signed by 74 MEPs - over 10% of the total - meeting the procedural requirement.
This is the first motion of censure in the last 11 years against the European Commission.
The motion accuses Ursula von der Leyen and the Commission of:
- lack of transparency regarding the exchange of messages with the CEO of Pfizer during the negotiations for anti-Covid vaccines
- interference in national elections (Romania and Germany), through abusive application of the DSA (Digital Services Act) legislation
- inefficient spending of EU funds, including for vaccines and a defense fund of €150 billion, without parliamentary consultation
The chances for the censure motion to pass in Parliament were minimal, given that the EPP, S&D, Renew Europe, and Greens announced their support for the President of the European Commission, revealing the increasing tension at the European level.
Von der Leyen's second Commission was voted last summer with the weakest majority in history (401 votes).
"A shameful and predictable failure. The motion received 100 votes less than the votes against the Commission's appointment in 2024," stated Siegfried Mureșan in a Facebook post.
According to the PNL MEP, "one year into their term, AUR MEPs have not delivered anything for Romania, have no influence, do not achieve results, and remain completely isolated in the European Parliament, and today's vote confirms this."
If the vote had been lost, von der Leyen and the entire European Commission would have had to resign, throwing the European Union into a major political crisis and generating chaos in the functioning of European institutions.