Ursula von der Leyen
An announcement is expected this week, but there is little chance of success, Euronews writes.
The text of the vote is under preparation and could be finalized at a meeting of the group’s bureau in Brussels on January 13, the publication specifies. “Patriots for Europe” will make the proposal as a response to the signing of a trade deal with Mercosur countries, approved by all EU members except France last week.
The deal is expected to be finally approved at an official ceremony on January 17. In a related development, Jordane Bardella, who leads the “patriots” and a delegation from France’s National Rally party, accused Brussels and Paris of capitulating to the interests of European farmers.
The vote in the European Parliament will be accompanied by a separate motion of no confidence put forward by the National Rassemblement in the French parliament.
The previous motion, put forward by the Patriots for Europe group last October, claimed that the European Commission had ignored the “strong and diverse opposition from several national parliaments, the European Parliament and European farmers” to Mercosur. Similar language is expected to be included in the new text of the vote this week.
The aim of the “patriots” is to prepare the text for a vote at the next plenary session in Strasbourg, which will take place from January 19 to 22.
The text may also include a reference to von der Leyen’s “management style”, Euronews adds. She has been accused of running the European Commission too authoritarian, although the exact wording is being finalized.
If the vote goes ahead, it would be the fourth attempt by the European Parliament to oust Ursula von der Leyen as head of the European Commission in her second mandate.
The previous three attempts failed to produce the expected result, but created a negative mood.
A minimum of two-thirds of the votes cast in the European Parliament, which represents a majority of current MEPs, is required to approve the vote. Observers note that this is a high threshold that is almost impossible to reach if major groups, such as the Von der Leyen-supporting European People’s Party, vote against or abstain. So the chances of success of a new vote of no confidence are minimal.
