STRASBOURG — Ursula von der Leyen celebrated her birthday in the European Parliament in Strasbourg — and was given a sweet treat by a Green MEP.

Von der Leyen turned 67 on Wednesday and received a gift bag from Terry Reintke, a German MEP who is co-leader of the Greens in the Parliament.

Asked what was in the bag, a spokesperson for Reintke said: “Terry offered her chocolate, and the hope is that the serotonins and dopamines will translate into good Green legislation in return.”

It is unclear if the chocolate was made by the British confectionery brand Terry’s, but it was Terry herself who bought it.

The Greens are not always big fans of von der Leyen, and are frustrated at seeing the Commission’s simplification agenda water down climate and environmental policies.

The Parliament will on Thursday vote on two motions of no-confidence in von der Leyen’s leadership, put forward by far-right and far-left groups. If she loses (which is extremely unlikely), her Commission would fall, which would be a very bad belated birthday gift.

In a debate on those motions on Monday, Reintke said the Greens aren’t happy with von der Leyen’s performance — but they know well that it could be a lot worse.

In the midst of geopolitical turmoil, she said, “do we really, in this crucial moment, want an institutional crisis?”

The Greens have plenty of complaints, from the “late reaction” to suffering in Gaza to climate initiatives being thrown “under the omnibus,” Reintke said. Yet, given that Parliament majorities won’t change, and conditions in the Council are “even worse,”  there’s no reason to expect improvement from firing the Commission.