European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is heading into her State of the Union speech with a majority of Europeans wanting her gone.
According to a survey by geopolitical journal Le Grand Continent published today, some six in 10 Europeans say von der Leyen should step down as her big speech looms on Sept 10.
Distrust in the German EC chief leadership has surged to 72 per cent.
Even within her own German political family, the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CDU/CSU), more than a third of voters favour her resignation, more than among supporters of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) or The Greens.
Much of this anger seemed to stem from what was widely seen as a humiliating European Union-US trade deal, which left Europe exposed to US tariffs.
In France, resentment is particularly intense: Some 70 per cent of respondents said they felt “humiliated” by the agreement.
As The Grand Continent survey reported, what might normally be dismissed as a technical issue of customs tariffs has instead ignited a deeply political and emotional backlash.
“For a subject as technical as customs tariffs, these figures are striking: they show that the agreement has crystallised a political and emotional reaction that goes far beyond the technical dimension,” the report read.
But Von der Leyen’s trouble goes beyond trade issues.
Radical left-wing French MEPs are determined to oust her.
Manon Aubrey, co-president of the Left in the European Parliament, announced that she and her colleagues would call for a vote of no confidence against the EC chief.
They are currently working to gather the 72 signatures by October to table the motion, they told Brussels Signal.
“The Insoumis [unbowed] are arriving at the National Assembly to oust [just-toppled prime minister François] Bayrou. In the European Parliament, we’ll do the same with Ursula von der Leyen,” Aubrey said.
This would be the second attempt by MEPs to get rid of von der Leyen this year. Right-wing MEP Gheorge Pipera attempted to remove her before the summer over the “Pfizer deal” controversy, but the vote ultimately failed to pass.
The ill feeling towards the EC President comes despite the fact that in May 29, she received the Charlemagne Prize for her leadership.
At the time, this win led to criticism from MEPs who called the award “in blatant contradiction to the fundamental values for which this prize was originally created”.
Citizens from five countries were surveyed: From France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Poland.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is facing a vote of no confidence over the controversial deal she made with Pfizer. https://t.co/AewEzCRTS0
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) June 26, 2025
