Image: from Kinga Gál X@_KingaGal
By Open Chronicle News Desk
STRASBOURG – The European People’s Party (EPP), the largest political group in the European Parliament, has moved to penalize more than ten of its own members. The move follows a high-stakes vote of no confidence where several lawmakers failed to support European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The sanctions were triggered by a motion of censure spearheaded by the far-right group “Patriots for Europe,” which sought to topple the Commission. While the motion was ultimately defeated by a wide margin on Thursday, the EPP leadership had introduced new internal rules just days before ensure strict group discipline.
🇩🇪🇪🇺CDU AND EPP IN PANIC MODE
La réprobation monte en Allemagne sur la gestion autoritaire par Von der Leyen, Merz, et Manfred Weber du Parti Populaire Européen,
archi-dominé par la CDU CSU à Bruxelles.
“Quiconque critique Ursula Von der Leyen sera puni” ❗️… pic.twitter.com/6pOB2gPTwf— herve hannoun (@HerveHannoun) January 21, 2026
Among the sanctioned members are seven Hungarian MEPs from the TISZA party, led by Péter Magyar. Although Magyar’s party is often at odds with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, they opted to abstain or not participate in the vote to avoid political backlash at home, where public support for von der Leyen remains a sensitive issue.
Other sanctioned lawmakers include Dutch MEP Jessika van Leeuwen, the only EPP member to vote in favor of the motion of censure, and her colleague Sander Smit, who abstained. Two Slovenian MEPs from Janez Janša’s party, as well as two Romanian MEPs from a Hungarian minority party, were also included in the disciplinary sweep.
The penalties are significant: for the next six months, these MEPs will lose the right to lead the group’s work on new legislative files and are barred from speaking on behalf of the EPP during plenary sessions.
The EPP’s decision highlights the growing pressure on Brussels’ mainstream parties to maintain a united front against surging populist and far-right movements within the Parliament.