European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is likely to face a motion of no confidence in the European Parliament in the coming weeks.
This was announced by the Patriots for Europe faction, which strongly opposes the trade agreement between the European Union and the South American Mercosur association, according to the Politico portal.
It describes the agreement with Mercosur as a threat to European farmers, especially French farmers, and accuses the European Commission of ignoring their interests.
Success of the proposal
According to a senior representative of Patriots for Europe, the motion could be voted on as early as the January plenary session of the European Parliament.
The proposal requires the support of at least 72 MEPs. The Patriots currently have 82 MEPs and therefore do not need the support of other political groups. After the official submission, the proposal will be reviewed by the European Parliament's legal service, and Parliament President Roberta Metsola will then inform all MEPs of the next steps.
If they follow past precedents, the parliamentary debate could take place on January 19, with a vote following on January 22.
However, the motion is unlikely to succeed, as a two-thirds majority of votes cast would be required to dismiss the European Commission. Three similar motions have been tabled against von der Leyen in the past, two from the far right and one from the far left. However, all of them failed.
Historic agreement
The dispute comes at a time when EU member states have reached a breakthrough in approving the agreement with Mercosur. On Friday, 21 member states supported it by a qualified majority, with France, Poland, Hungary, Austria, and Ireland opposing it and Belgium abstaining.
However, the agreement, which is set to be the largest trade agreement in the history of the EU, still needs to be approved by the European Parliament.
The Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the formal signing of the agreement will take place on January 17 in Paraguay. Ursula von der Leyen will sign on behalf of the European Union, describing the agreement as historic and proof that "Europe is going its own way and is a reliable partner."
Jordan Bardella also accused French President Emmanuel Macron of hypocrisy, saying that while he publicly criticizes the agreement, he has failed to prevent its adoption. The National Rally therefore plans to table a motion of no confidence in the French government.
(mja)