European Commission President von der Leyen Faces No-Confidence Vote Over Pfizer Texts

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is facing a no-confidence vote in the European Parliament, scheduled for July 10, triggered by concerns over her transparency related to undisclosed text messages exchanged with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during the 2021 COVID-19 vaccine procurement negotiations. The motion, initiated by Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea and supported by 72 lawmakers, accuses von der Leyen of violating transparency rules and mishandling the vaccine deal, a controversy intensified after the EU Court of Justice ruled against the European Commission's refusal to release the messages. While the vote is largely considered symbolic with major political groups, including von der Leyen's European People’s Party and centrists, indicating they will not support it, the motion highlights growing frustration within EU institutions over her leadership and decisions. If passed, the vote would require the entire European Commission to resign, marking an unprecedented event since the Santer Commission's resignation in 1999. The debate and vote come amid a complex geopolitical and economic context for the EU and underline deeper tensions regarding Commission policy and governance transparency. Despite the motion's slim chances of success, it serves as a significant political blow and a rare challenge to von der Leyen's tenure as Commission President.