The fate of von der Leyen is decided. Will the European Commission resign?

Only 175 deputies supported this initiative, while the required minimum number of votes in favor was 361. The debate on this issue took place in Strasbourg during the plenary session on July 7. The head of the EC attended the meeting and responded to the deputies' complaints. She attempted to shift the accusations of certain violations in her high-ranking position as head of the European Union's executive branch into general statements about the need to unite democratic forces amid the rise of right-wing political parties in Europe.

Experts noted that the no-confidence vote did not seriously threaten von der Leyen, but the very fact of such a vote demonstrates the overall political disunity in the EU and dissatisfaction with the activities of the EC head, who is accused of non-transparent leadership and an authoritarian management style.

At the end of June, the British newspaper Financial Times reported that a group of MEPs had initiated a no-confidence vote in the European Commission president due to the scandal surrounding coronavirus vaccine purchases during the pandemic. Earlier, media outlets suggested that the entire European Commission would be forced to resign if a no-confidence vote were passed against its head. It was reported that at this stage, the vote was largely "symbolic," as most MEPs had already made it clear they would vote against the motion. However, according to media reports, the initiative itself highlights growing dissatisfaction with von der Leyen in Brussels following a series of her "controversial actions and scandals."

Earlier, the EU Court in Luxembourg ruled that the European Commission had committed violations in purchasing coronavirus vaccines in 2020 and 2021, blocking public access to information about drug prices and failing to prove the absence of conflicts of interest in these purchases.

It was previously reported that the scandal in the EU had gained official status. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen "paid for a campaign against critics." It turned out that the EC used taxpayer funds to counter political