European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has comfortably survived a rare double no-confidence vote in the European Parliament, defeating simultaneous challenges from hard-right and left-wing groups that criticized her handling of major trade deals and other key policies.
On Thursday, October 9, 2025, the European Parliament voted on two separate motions of censure. The far-right motion, brought by the Patriots for Europe (PfE), received 179 votes in favor, 378 against, and 37 abstentions. The motion from The Left group garnered 133 votes in favor, 383 against, and 78 abstentions. This outcome demonstrated stronger support for von der Leyen than a similar challenge in July 2025. The votes marked the first time two no-confidence motions were launched simultaneously in the Parliament.
The motions came from opposite ends of the political spectrum, unified by dissatisfaction with von der Leyen's leadership but for different reasons.
Patriots for Europe (PfE), the far-right group led by Jordan Bardella, criticized the Commission President's climate and migration policies, which they labeled as "misguided". Their primary grievance, however, was focused on two major trade agreements: the recent deal with the United States and the proposed EU-Mercosur deal with South American nations. They, along with others, have described the US tariff deal as unbalanced and a "humiliation" for Europe.
The Left group, co-chaired by Manon Aubry, assailed the Commission for its inaction over the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Aubry went so far as to accuse von der Leyen of being "complicit in the genocide in Gaza". Similar to the far-right, The Left also strongly criticized the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement.
Despite the criticism, von der Leyen's position was secured by a "sacred union" of centrist parties. The center-right European People's Party, Socialists, and Renew Europe groups rallied behind her, wary that unseating the Commission would plunge the EU into deeper instability at a time of war in Ukraine and internal political challenges. Following the vote, von der Leyen stated on X, "I deeply appreciate the strong support received today," adding that the Commission would keep working closely with the Parliament to deliver for citizens.
Politically, the failed motions signal that future attempts to unseat her through no-confidence votes may be futile, with one Green MEP stating they have "no intention of making any more motions". However, pressure remains. The controversial US and Mercosur trade deals, which were at the heart of the censure motions, will face their own separate votes in the European Parliament in the coming months, and their outcomes are still unclear.