BRUSSELS

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday survived a no-confidence motion filed by far-right lawmakers over the EU's trade agreement with the South American Mercosur bloc.

The motion, tabled during the plenary session in Strasbourg, failed to secure the two-thirds majority required to pass, falling short of the minimum 361 votes in favor.

The censure motion was filed on Jan. 14 by the Patriots for Europe group, the third-largest political group in the European Parliament.

The group accused the European Commission of "bypassing" both the European Parliament and national parliaments in concluding the Mercosur trade agreement and of ignoring the concerns of millions of European farmers.

The far-right motion saw 390 MEPs vote against it, 165 in support, and 10 abstaining.

This marked the fourth time von der Leyen has faced a censure attempt since taking office for the second time. She previously survived similar motions related to the situation in the Gaza Strip and EU trade policy in July and October 2025.

Under the deal, tariffs on a range of agricultural products — including beef, poultry, dairy, sugar and ethanol — are to be reduced for Mercosur countries, namely Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, while European industrial sectors would gain broader access to South American markets.

The agreement was signed on Jan. 17 in Paraguay, following more than two decades of negotiations. Its adoption was delayed in December amid widespread farmer protests and opposition from several member states, including France, Ireland, Hungary and Poland.

On Wednesday, the European Parliament adopted a resolution requesting the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to issue a legal opinion on whether the Mercosur agreement is compatible with EU treaties.