The European Parliament will debate a motion of censure against the European Commission on Monday, with Ursula von der Leyen set to defend her leadership before MEPs vote on Thursday.
A motion of censure against the European Commission will be debated in the European Parliament later on Monday, as President Ursula von der Leyen prepares to argue for her political survival. The vote, which will be held by roll call, is scheduled for Thursday and must take place at least 48 hours after the debate begins.
MEPs who signed the motion can still withdraw their support before the vote. If support for the motion drops below one-tenth of all MEPs, the process will be halted. To succeed, the motion requires at least two-thirds of the votes cast, representing a majority of all MEPs.
There have been nine attempts to censure the Commission in the past. In 1990, the Group of the European Right tried to force the Commission’s resignation over Agricultural Policy, but only gained 16 votes in favour and 243 against. The most recent attempt took place in November 2014, targeting Jean-Claude Juncker’s Commission in response to the “Luxembourg Leaks” financial scandal. That effort, initiated by the Eurosceptic Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy group, garnered only 101 of 670 votes.
Other censure attempts have focused on the EU budget, the effects of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, and the management of the Commission’s statistical office, Eurostat.
Only once has a motion of censure resulted in a Commission’s resignation. In March 1999, the Commission led by Jacques Santer resigned amid fraud allegations and transparency concerns, doing so before a formal vote in plenary session. That Commission had previously survived three separate motions on other issues.
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