EU chief von der Leyen survives confidence vote

STRASBOURG, France — EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday comfortably saw off a no-confidence vote in European Parliament, but the rare challenge has exposed friction between her backers and complaints about her leadership style.

Lawmakers in Strasbourg rejected the censure motion, launched by the far right over the European Commission president's handling of COVID-19 vaccine contracts, by 360 to 175 in a widely expected result.

"In a moment of global volatility and unpredictability, the EU needs strength, vision, and the capacity to act," von der Leyen, who wasn't at the parliament for the vote, wrote on X after the vote.