MEPs plunged into a heated debate over the latest motion of censure against the European Commission on Monday night (19 January) in Strasbourg.
The initiative, brought forward by the far-right Patriots for Europe (PfE) group, marks the fourth such attempt to oust Ursula von der Leyen's commission since it took office in December 2024.
The PfE called the motion because of the Mercosur trade agreement signed by von der Leyen on Saturday (17 January).
The 27 European commissioners are nominated by member states but must undergo hearings in the parliament and receive its confirmation. The parliament retains the option of dismissing the entire Commission through a motion of censure. The vote on the motion will take place on Thursday (22 January).
To initiate such a vote, a proposal must be supported by either a tenth or a fifth of all MEPs, depending on whether another censure motion has been filed in the previous two months.
A censure motion requires a double majority: at least two-thirds of votes cast and a majority of MEPs. No motion of censure has ever obtained this, but in 1999 Jacques Santer's commission resigned before the vote.
Monday's late-night session drew a sparse crowd but quickly evolved into an ideological battle that extended far beyond the Mercosur agreement itself.
EU commission vice-president and trade chief Maroš Šefčovič defended the deal as a "historic" deal for the bloc's economy with environmental safeguards and €6.3bn in aid for European farmers.
The three parties working together in a loose coalition—the centre-right EPP, the centre-left S&D, and the liberal Renew group—stated their support for the Commission.
Dutch EPP's Jeroen Lenaers dismissed the censure motion as "national political theatre," while Belgian S&D's Kathleen van Brempt called for anti-Trump measures while backing trade diversification.
For his part, Irish liberal Billy Kelleher expressed concerns over the Mercosur agreement but argued that maintaining a stable commission and president is crucial amid global threats.
The Greens and the Left opposed both Mercosur and the censure motion itself. Greens French MEP Marie Toussaint criticised the trade deal as being incompatible with the EU's climate agenda but rejected the far-right's proposal, accusing PfE of weaponising farmers' anger.
French left-wing MEP Manon Aubry similarly called out PfE "hypocrisy," noting that the party has supported other trade deals with the likes of New Zealand and Kenya.
French far-right Jean-Paul Garraud characterised Mercosur as a "death warrant" for European farms and urged MEPs to support his party's motion, while Polish MEP Patryk Jaki from the ECR claimed Mercosur indirectly supports Putin because Brazil uses Russian fertilisers.
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Hannah Kriwak is a junior reporter from Austria at EUobserver, covering European politics.
Hannah Kriwak is a junior reporter from Austria at EUobserver, covering European politics.