Von der Leyen escapes censorship and reassures
European Parliament (Strasbourg, France) – The MEPs, gathered in a plenary session in Strasbourg, have clearly rejected two motions of censure aimed at the President of the European Commission, one coming from the far right, the other from the radical left.
The first, presented by The Patriots for Europe (Pfe), a group chaired by the Frenchman Jordan Bardella, received 179 votes in favor, 378 votes against, and 37 abstentions.
Four French right-wing MEPs, including the vice-president of the Republicans François-Xavier Bellamy, allied their votes with the far right, the only European right-wing (EPP) parliamentarians to make this choice.
Asked by AFP, François-Xavier Bellamy explained that he wanted to express his opposition to the free trade agreement with Mercosur.
The second motion, coming from the La Gauche group, co-chaired by the Frenchwoman Manon Aubry, received only 133 votes in favor, 383 votes against, and 78 abstentions.
After these results, better than what the executive feared, Ursula von der Leyen expressed her delight at the “strong support” from the Parliament in a message posted on the social network X. (October 9, 2025)
