European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has decided not to attend a European Parliament session on Monday where lawmakers will debate a motion of no confidence filed against her by the far-right “Patriots for Europe” group, led by Jordan Bardella.
The motion targets von der Leyen’s handling of the European Union’s trade agreement negotiations with the Mercosur bloc of South American countries, according to Politico Europe, which reported the development on Friday.
Instead of appearing in person, von der Leyen will be represented by EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, a long-time ally and senior figure within the Commission. No other commissioners are expected to participate in the debate in Strasbourg, according to two officials familiar with the plans. The vote on the motion is scheduled for Thursday.
The initiative is widely expected to fail, as it lacks sufficient backing among Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). In previous confidence debates, von der Leyen and her full team of commissioners typically made a strong showing in the chamber to project unity and institutional resolve. This time, however, the Commission appears to be scaling back its presence.
The decision comes amid growing frustration within the Commission over what officials see as the increasingly frequent and tactical use of confidence motions. Von der Leyen has faced three such motions in the second half of 2025 alone, two tabled by far-right groups and one by the far left, all of which were ultimately defeated.
Under parliamentary rules, a confidence motion requires the support of just 72 MEPs out of 720 to be formally debated. While the threshold is relatively low, lawmakers from major political families, including the European People’s Party, the Socialists and Democrats, and the liberals, argue that repeated use of the mechanism has diluted its political impact.
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