The European Parliament rejected the vote of distrust towards the president of the European Commission, Ursuli von der Leyen. 175 MEPs voted in favour of the appeal, 360 against and 18 abstentions. An absolute majority was required to remove the president, i.e. at least 360 votes in favour – this barrier was not exceeded, so von der Leyen retained the mandate.
The vote took place in the shadow of the scandal referred to as ‘Pfizergate’ – allegations of non-transparency erstwhile purchasing COVID-19 vaccines and secret messages exchanged with the head of Pfizer. The initiative came from the right – including Romanian Euro MP Gheorghe Piperei from the ECR Group. Although the main opponents of the votum were members of the PiS, AUR or AfD, it was awesome that the committee could number on support from the EPP, S&D, Renew and the Greens.
European Conservatives and Reformists (ECRs) have experienced an interior crisis. any delegations, specified as the PiS and the AUR, supported the proposal, but Italian Euro MPs from the Italian Brethren powerfully voted against. Nicola Procaccini, co-chair of the ECR on behalf of the FdI, considered the vote to be a “mistake” and “political presentation to opponents”. In his speech he besides accused the MPs of PiS and AUR, opportunism and shortsightedness. According to observers, Procaccini's motion corresponded to the political line of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Although Meloni is criticized for a average pro-European course, she has set out a clear strategy for her allies – rejecting the vote of distrust, which was to strengthen her position in negotiations with the EPP.
Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy and leader of "The Brothers of Italy", carefully balances between European conservatism and her own national profile. The common attitude of the Italian delegation to vote is due to its pre-set course: on the 1 hand, the construction of bridges from the EPP, on the another hand, a clear distance from the “high” right. As a result, the FdI and ECR have gained greater influence on the decisive vote while avoiding isolation. In fact, the support from Italian representatives confirmed the informal ECR-EPP alliance – cooperation in exchange for participation in the higher Commission or Parliament. Meloni shows that by strategically choosing to vote, 1 can gain political advantage without giving up on the assumptions of their own national interests policies.
Von der Leyen, however, obtained a temporary reinforcement – although she weakened against part of the centre-left and green groups, showed the ability to consolidate the core groups around her.
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