The applicants accuse Commission President Ursula von der Leyen of corrupt conduct in the Pfizergate scandal. The motion is motivated, among other things, by the ongoing investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office into the EC’s involvement in the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines. The proposal’s initiators underlined a lack of transparency in how the money was spent. The Commission allocated €35 billion of public funds for vaccines but failed to ensure transparency and accountability. The whereabouts of as much as €4 billion remain unclear, raising serious concerns about financial oversight and integrity. The Commission also questions the authority of the judiciary in relation to the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union in the vaccine scandal, a judgment which the European Commission decided not to implement, thus breaking the law.

The allegations also include mismanagement of funds from the post-pandemic recovery fund, as well as accusations against the Commission of unlawful interference in the presidential elections in Romania, which violated the Treaties. Moreover, over the last six years, the von der Leyen Commission has abused its power by taking over the competences of the Member States, violating the principle of the separation of powers and bypassing the European Parliament in key decisions. The undemocratic concentration of decision-making power in the hands of the President of the European Commission contradicts the principles of balance and the separation of powers. The decision-making process has become opaque and arbitrary, raising concerns about abuse and corruption.

In addition, ordinary people have to bear the high costs of the ‘EU bureaucracy’s obsession’, such as climate policy, which causes high energy and fuel prices and the destruction of European industry. The Commission has planned a drastic order for households to replace heating systems by 2035, which will primarily financially affect ordinary people. The declared partial coverage of costs is fictitious, as installing new heaters will often require reconstructing the entire house, something what most people simply cannot afford. Economically, the number of bankruptcies among ordinary individuals and entrepreneurs has increased, and the risk of insolvency has emerged in EU member states, largely due to the Commission’s policies. In turn, uncontrolled illegal immigration and the EU’s refugee relocation policy threaten the security of European states and citizens, fuelling an increase in serious crimes, including murder.

MEP Waldemar Tomaszewski also took the floor as one of the supporters of the motion of censure in respect of Ursula von der Leyen’s European Commission.

,Ursula von der Leyen’s arrogance and lack of consideration for ordinary people are shocking. The Commission and its leader should be serving ordinary people, yet the opposite is true. The arrogance with which the citizens of our countries are treated demonstrates the complete detachment of the commissioners and the EU bureaucracy from reality. I supported the motion because there are many arguments for it and numerous allegations, ranging from abuse of office, simple ignorance, and disregard for voters, to very serious allegations of corruption, involving billions of euros. This motion of censure is a warning and a protest against the lack of integrity and oligarchization of EU politics, of which the head of the European Commission has become the face and negative symbol. Politics must be for the people, not against them,’ emphasized the leader of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania – Christian Families Alliance.

Adoption of the motion requires an absolute majority (at least 361 votes), as well as the support of two-thirds of the MEPs present. In case when a motion of censure is adopted, the European Commission as a whole must resign.

Five such motions have been submitted in the history of the European Parliament. None of them have passed. The closest to dismissal was Jacques Santer’s Commission in 1999, which, however, resigned before the vote. The last attempt by MEPs to dismiss the head of the European Commission took place in 2005.

Immediately after the vote on the motion of censure in respect of Ursula von der Leyen’s European Commission on Thursday 10th July, we asked MEP Waldemar Tomaszewski, who voted ‘in favour’, for a comment on the matter.

‘The vote was held at noon. It was attended by 553 members of EP. 175 of them voted in favour of the motion, 360 against, and 18 abstained. The motion failed to pass, but a large part of the members fulfilled their fundamental duty to scrutinize the executive branch, documenting all of von der Leyen’s abuses of power, from ignorance and arrogance towards voters to very serious allegations of corruption. It is encouraging that as many as 175 MEPs, representing 32% of those voting, expressed their principled position. However, it is worrying that only 553 of the 720 full members of the European Parliament participated in the vote, while plenary sessions typically attract nearly 700 MEPs. This means that approximately 150 MEPs participating in the plenary session did not vote. Unfortunately, the reason of this situation may be a lack of civic courage: they apparently did not want to vote against von der Leyen to avoid unpleasantness, and at the same time, they feared the reaction of their voters if they did. While still a member of a national parliament, at a meeting with the Speaker and Croatian members of parliament, I learned that in Serbo-Croatian, the word for a member of a parliament is “zaštitnik,” what is translated as a defender. A defender of his voters, a defender of ordinary people, especially those aggrieved. Today’s vote showed that there are more and more of them in the European Parliament. This is a positive trend, that gives hope that in the next elections, Europeans will cast their votes for those who defend their interests, including those who uphold Christian and family values, which are important to most Europeans,’ the leader of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania-Christian Families Alliance told.