Orban urges for von der Leyen’s resignation
(MENAFN) Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has called for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to step down, sharing a satirical image styled like a Time magazine cover with the caption “time to go.” The post, made ahead of a no-confidence vote in the European Parliament scheduled for Thursday, mocks von der Leyen’s leadership and recalls a similar magazine cover featuring U.S. President Joe Biden after he withdrew from the 2024 race.
Orban, a longtime critic of von der Leyen, accuses her of overreaching EU authority, meddling in member states’ affairs, and politically isolating Hungary. Tensions between Budapest and Brussels have been especially high over rule-of-law disputes and the EU’s sanctions policy.
Von der Leyen is under increasing scrutiny over her actions during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly her secretive negotiations with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla regarding vaccine procurement. Her refusal to disclose private text messages exchanged during those talks has drawn backlash. Earlier this year, a European court ruled that her office had not given valid reasons for withholding the messages.
Opposition to von der Leyen spans the political spectrum, with critics alleging she has consolidated power, bypassed institutional checks, and interfered with national sovereignty.
Thursday’s no-confidence motion, launched by Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea, cites a history of “institutional overreach.” However, it faces steep odds, requiring a two-thirds majority and support from over half of the European Parliament’s 720 members.
In her defense, von der Leyen dismissed her detractors as “conspiracy theorists” and “anti-vaxxers,” accusing them of being influenced by Russia. She claimed during a recent plenary session that some critics were acting “on behalf of their puppet masters in Russia.”
The Kremlin has repeatedly criticized von der Leyen, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov calling her “Führer Ursula” and accusing her of driving militarization in Europe while deflecting attention from pandemic-era scandals. Russian officials have also condemned her strong support for Ukraine and role in expanding sanctions against Moscow, describing her as a key architect of the EU’s hostile stance toward Russia.
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