European Commission wrong to deny release of von der Leyen messages, court says
Summary
The EU's top court ruled that the European Commission was wrong to deny a journalist access to text messages between Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer's CEO about Covid-19 vaccine deals. The court found that the Commission failed to provide a good reason for not releasing these messages when requested in 2021.Key Facts
- The European Commission refused to release text messages between Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer's Albert Bourla.
- The EU's General Court ruled that the Commission lacked a valid explanation for not making the messages public.
- These messages were part of negotiations for Covid-19 vaccines, with Pfizer signing large contracts with the EU in 2021.
- The issue has been referred to as "Pfizergate" in Brussels.
- Anti-corruption group Transparency International welcomed the court's decision as a win for EU transparency.
- The European Commission, led by von der Leyen since 2019, is reviewing the court ruling to decide its next steps.
- The controversy began when a journalist revealed the private negotiations, prompting another journalist to request the messages.
- The court noted the Commission did not clearly say if the messages were deleted or lost, suggesting poor record-keeping.
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