‘Utterly indefensible’: Kilkenny based MEP votes no confidence in EU Commission president

Sinn Féin MEP Kathleen Funchion voted no confidence in EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Strasbourg this week.

Ms von der Leyen comfortably survived two separate no-confidence votes in the European Parliament on Thursday, putting the number of such motions that she has fended off since her July 2024 re-election at three in total.

The first motion of the day was brought by the far-right Patriots for Europe which was defeated by a margin of 378 in support of Ms von der Leyen to 179 against. No Irish MEPs voted with the far-right.

The second vote, put forward by The Left group failed by an even greater margin with 383 votes backing the Commission president and just 133 against.

Ms Funchion was joined in her no confidence vote on The Left’s motion by fellow Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan, Independent Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan and Aodhán Ó Ríordáin of Labour.

The comfortable margin of victory for Ms von der Leyen is a damaging outcome for her opponents but Ms Funchion was unflinching in her criticism after the vote.

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“In July this year we voted no confidence in Ursula von der Leyen, and today we have voted the same way. Her refusal to act while a genocide unfolds in Palestine is utterly indefensible,” said the MEP from Callan.

“The European Union remains Israel’s largest trading partner. The EU-Israel trade agreement should have been fully suspended long ago, yet von der Leyen has chosen complicity over intervention.”

“She does not represent the millions of Europeans who see clearly that what is happening in Gaza is genocide. Through her inaction, she has become complicit in grave violations of human rights and international law,” she added.

Ms Funchion also spoke out against the Commission president’s role in the controversial Mercosur deal which would liberalise trade between the EU and the countries of the Latin American bloc.

Farmers have expressed concern over the potential negative impact that the flooding of the EU market with cheaper products, particularly beef, could have on livelihoods.

“Von der Leyen has also been determined to push through the Mercosur trade deal undemocratically. It is the first time that the Commission has split the trade deal away from the overall agreement. This would be devastating for Irish farmers and the environment.”

“A vote for von der Leyen is a vote to sell out Europe’s small farms to big industry and to continue giving political cover to war crimes,” she concluded.

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