Politics

Far-right bloc tables no-confidence motion against EU's von der Leyen

Tuesday 13 - 14:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Far-right bloc tables no-confidence motion against EU's von der Leyen

The Patriots for Europe far-right group plans to submit a motion of censure against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen this week, multiple group sources told Euronews. The move, nearing completion at the group's Brussels bureau meeting on Tuesday, directly targets the EU-Mercosur trade deal greenlit by member states last week and set for signing in Paraguay on January 17. Jordan Bardella, heading the group and France's National Rally delegation, accused Brussels and Paris of betraying European farmers, pairing this with a parallel censure motion against the French government in the National Assembly.

This would mark the fourth parliamentary bid this term to topple von der Leyen's Commission. Critics assail her centralized "governance style," with Danish MEP Anders Vistisen, the Patriots' coordinator, telling Brussels Signal the effort tests the majority backing her amid rising flak over migration handling and foreign policy choices. The text will likely lambast her leadership as overly personalistic.

Success remains unlikely, requiring two-thirds of votes cast a majority of all MEPs. Patriots need 72 signatures to proceed; their 85 members ensure that threshold. Yet October's prior motion failed decisively at 378 against, 179 for, and 37 abstentions, centrists rallying behind von der Leyen. Validation could trigger a vote at the January 19-22 Strasbourg plenary, or push to February 9-12 if delayed.

Farmer protests intensify across Europe alongside these maneuvers. Around 350 tractors rolled into Paris on Tuesday, massing at the Arc de Triomphe and near the National Assembly. Thousands rallied in Athlone, Ireland, over the weekend, while blockades hit key French ports like Le Havre, Bayonne, and La Rochelle. MEP Ciaran Mullooly delivered a 30,000-signature petition against Mercosur to von der Leyen's Brussels staff, urging Commissioner Michael McGrath to act. The deal passed January 9 despite no votes from Ireland, France, Hungary, Poland, and Austria, with Belgium abstaining.