The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will face a motion of censure for the first time this week in the European Parliament, backed by a group of MEPs from the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR).

The debate on the document of censure will take place this afternoon in the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, during which the Commission President will be asked to answer MEPs’ questions about the lack of transparency of the executive. Ursula von der Leyen will ask for a vote of confidence from the European Parliament in a vote of no confidence, which will take place on Thursday 10 July and will not be secret.

The motion of censure was tabled by MEP George Pipera (ECR, Romania), who accused von der Leyen of opacity in the wake of the Pfizergate scandal. On 2 July, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced that a motion of censure against the “von der Leyen II” Commission had been tabled, which meets the submission requirements.

The motion of censure is supported by 79 MEPs, but they have no chance of ousting the German President of the European Parliament during the vote at noon on Thursday. Several ECR MEPs, which includes the Italian MEPs of Georgia Meloni, have distanced themselves from the motion of censure tabled by the Romanian MEP. However, the motion of censure is expected to be supported by some MEPs from the “Europe of Sovereign Nations” and the “Patriots of Europe”, including Jordan Bardela from France’s “National Coalition”.

The leaders of the Social Democrats and the Liberals (Renew) have said they will give a vote of confidence in von der Leyen, but today’s debate on the motion of censure could be an opportunity to defuse the “pro-European” majority in the European Parliament. The Social Democrats and Liberals (Renew) regularly criticise von der Leyen for her increasingly vertical power structure, for challenging environmental rules, and for her collaboration with the ECR, including with MEPs of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

“The EPP should carefully consider with whom it wants to build bridges, with us or with those who launch motions of censure,” a Social Democrat spokesman said.

For French Renew MEP, Valerie Hayyer, today’s debate could be a “real opportunity for political clarification” and “we will clearly ask the EPP who it wants to work with.”