European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen faced intense scrutiny before the European Parliament this week, defending herself against mounting criticism over her controversial handling of a multibillion-euro vaccine contract. Lawmakers debated a no-confidence motion that, while almost certain to fail, underscored deep concerns over transparency, accountability, and the growing sway of far-right forces across the European Union.
At the heart of the controversy is what critics have dubbed “Pfizergate” — a €35 billion deal (about £30 billion) von der Leyen personally negotiated via text messages with Pfizer’s CEO for up to 1.8 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines. The European Court of Auditors described it as the EU’s largest pandemic-era vaccine contract, with price hikes compared to earlier agreements. Despite repeated requests, the Commission has failed to produce the text exchanges, sparking years of legal battles and rulings that slammed Brussels for violating transparency rules.
Monday’s heated session in Strasbourg marked the first time since 2014 that an EU Commission president has faced a no-confidence challenge. Though the vote is widely expected to fall short of the two-thirds majority required — given the current makeup of the 720-member Parliament — it offered a platform for opponents to publicly grill von der Leyen over what they call her habit of sidelining formal decision-making processes.
The motion was spearheaded by Romanian far-right lawmaker Gheorghe Piperea and backed by 79 MEPs, narrowly crossing the threshold needed to trigger the debate. Support largely came from nationalist and far-right parties in Germany, Poland, and Romania. During the debate, Piperea argued that von der Leyen’s concentration of power undermined the EU’s democratic checks and balances.
Von der Leyen, flanked by her full team of commissioners, dismissed the effort as politically motivated and rooted in conspiracy theories. “It is no secret that I was in contact with top representatives of the companies producing the vaccines,” she said, defending her approach as necessary to secure urgent supplies during the pandemic.
Manfred Weber, leader of von der Leyen’s center-right European People’s Party, lashed out at the motion’s supporters, accusing them of serving Russian interests. “Putin will like what his friends are doing here,” he charged, warning that the spectacle only weakens Europe at a time when it faces Russian aggression and looming U.S. tariffs.
Leaders from liberal and center-left groups echoed these concerns. While many privately share frustrations over von der Leyen’s leadership style, they argued that backing a far-right initiative would hand a symbolic victory to forces hostile to European integration. Renew Europe, the centrist bloc linked to French President Emmanuel Macron, said in a statement that Europe needs a “stable commission,” not political grandstanding that plays into the hands of populists.
Social Democrat leader Iratxe García accused both the far right and von der Leyen’s conservative allies of damaging the EU, warning the Commission president that if she again compromises European values, “social democracy will lead the resistance.”
Beyond the political theatre, the debate spotlighted lingering concerns about how the vaccine contracts were managed. Von der Leyen has faced criticism for secrecy since her days as Germany’s defense minister, where she was probed over opaque military consulting deals. The New York Times revealed in 2021 that she had exchanged texts directly with Pfizer’s CEO, bypassing the usual EU negotiation team. A European court ruling this May found the Commission breached transparency laws by failing to account for these messages, calling it a landmark moment for holding EU institutions to public scrutiny.
Meanwhile, the EU’s Public Prosecutor continues to investigate possible misconduct tied to the vaccine deals, including allegations of destroyed messages and conflicts of interest.
This storm comes as von der Leyen tries to finalize a critical trade agreement with Washington to stave off harsh tariffs on European exports. With the U.S. threatening duties as high as 50% on EU goods, negotiators are racing to secure a pact that would cap levies at 10%. A deal was expected by July 9, though the White House recently signaled a brief extension to August.
While von der Leyen’s survival is all but guaranteed given the Parliament’s composition, the episode reveals a fragile political landscape — where mainstream parties walk a fine line between confronting legitimate questions about governance and avoiding empowering nationalist factions eager to dismantle the European project.
