European Union lawmakers are holding a no-confidence vote against the bloc's chief executive, Ursula von der Leyen, on Thursday, as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban leads calls for her ouster.
The vote, the first of its kind in the European Parliament in over a decade, was organised by far-right lawmakers. A two-thirds majority vote is needed to pass.
Von der Leyen could be forced to resign if she loses, although victory is almost guaranteed as most political groups have signaled they will vote against her. She is not expected to take part in the vote taking place in Strasbourg, France.
The motion consists of a host of allegations against von der Leyen, including private messages with the head of the Pfizer factory that produced vaccines against the coronavirus, misuse of EU funds and interference in elections in Germany and Romania.
Orbán said in a Facebook post that the vote "will be a moment of truth, on one side will be the imperialist elite of Brussels, on the other the patriots. It is essential to reach a solution."
"Madam President, the essence of your leadership is responsibility. It's time for you to leave!"
The EU chief has often clashed with Orban over his actions in Budapest that have undermined democracy. As a result, the European Commission has frozen his access to billions of euros in EU funds.
This vote has paved the way for much criticism of von der Leyen - who has been at the forefront of the EU's initiative to find vaccines for nearly 450 million people during the pandemic - but also of her European People's Party, which constitutes the largest political group in parliament./ REL (A2 Televizion)
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