EU's von der Leyen defends record in face of censure motion

8/7/2025 6:23

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen defended her record on Monday as the European Union's executive body faced a censure motion

proposed by a group of mainly far-right lawmakers in the European Parliament.



The vote on the motion, scheduled for Thursday, is destined to fall far short of the two-thirds majority needed to force out von der Leyen's Commission as centrist groups that hold a majority in the parliament have said they will not support it.



But the motion was an unwelcome political headache for the EU executive chief just as her Commission is in the midst of negotiations to try to avoid hefty tariffs on European products from U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.



Speaking in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, von der Leyen pushed back against criticism in the motion of her handling of the COVID-19 crisis, arguing her strategy had ensured all EU members had equal access to vaccines.