Center-left lawmakers will not support Thursday’s motion of no confidence in Ursula von der Leyen, giving a timely boost to the beleaguered European Commission president.

In a U-turn, the European Parliament’s Socialists and Democrats dropped its abstention threats, according to two group officials. To win their support, von der Leyen promised to keep funds dedicated to social spending in the EU’s seven year budget from 2028, which is currently being drawn up.

Had the Socialists abstained, von der Leyen would still almost certainly have won Thursday’s vote, but it would have raised doubts about the Commission’s support in Parliament and ability to push through legislation.

“S&D has achieved the inclusion of ESF+ [European Social Fund] in next MFF [the EU’s long-term budget, known as the multiannual financial framework] ― a major win for people across Europe,” said a group spokesperson.

“Yesterday the ESF+ was out of the MFF. Today it is in it, thanks to the firmness of the S&D family,” the spokesperson added.

The motion of no confidence is expected to fail to meet the two-thirds majority threshold, given the centrist groups, comprising von der Leyen’s center-right European People’s Party, the Socialists, and the liberals of Renew Europe, have now all confirmed they will vote against.

“Von der Leyen has made a major concession on a topic that is dear to the S&D,” said MEP René Repasi, leader of the German SPD in the Parliament.

“I think that she finally understood what is happening in the Parliament after Monday‘s debate and she saw the need to act,” he added. “We recognize this effort and we take it into consideration when taking our final decision how to vote tomorrow.”

Ahead of the presentation of the next EU seven year long budget slated for next week, the Socialists, the second-largest group in the European Parliament, linked their support to the preservation of the European Social Fund, which is supposed to tackle poverty and support vulnerable groups. 

Commissioner for social rights Roxana Mînzatu, herself a Socialist, also led a push inside the EU executive to save the fund.

The EPP’s budget lead negotiator, Siegfried Mureșan, shrugged at the Socialists’ victory chants. This was always the S&D’s main demand, he said, adding that regardless of the vote the Parliament was always going to demand the Social Fund be included.

Payments to regions

Von der Leyen already conceded key Parliament demands on Tuesday evening to secure the support of centrist MEPs.

The EPP’s budget lead negotiator, Siegfried Mureșan, shrugged at the Socialists’ victory chants. | Teresa Suarez/EPA

During a high-stakes meeting with party chairs in Strasbourg on Tuesday, von der Leyen said that payments to regions — which currently make up a third of the EU’s multi-year budget — will continue to be handed out to local authorities as opposed to national governments in the new budget.

Supporters of the move said that von der Leyen’s about-face is a “gamechanger” as it will make it harder for autocratic leaders, such as Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, to cut EU funding to regions governed by political rivals.

Von der Leyen’s plan to dramatically increase the power of national governments in handling regional funds has been criticized by lawmakers from across the spectrum and by several of her own commissioners.

They argue that it would undermine local democracy and widen the gap between the richer and poorer parts of Europe.

Sarah Wheaton contributed reporting from Strasbourg.