Von der
Leyen — finally — defends herself over ‘Pfizergate’
“The
implication that these contracts were somehow inappropriate against the
European interests is, by any measure, simply wrong,” von der Leyen says.
While the
Commission had argued that the texts were too boring to warrant being released,
the case became a flashpoint for transparency activists and right-wing groups.
|
July 7,
2025 7:37 pm CET
By Mari
Eccles
BRUSSELS
— Ursula von der Leyen publicly defended herself for the first time over text
messages she exchanged with a vaccine chief at the height of Covid-19 —
describing some accusations against her as "simply a lie."
The
European Commission president was hauled in front of MEPs in Strasbourg as part
of a debate ahead of Thursday's no-confidence vote. While there's almost no
chance she'll lose that, the fact it's happening at all is indicative of
growing opposition.
Much of
the opprobrium at von der Leyen's door has focused on "Pfizergate."
An EU court ruled in May that the Commission was wrong to block access to
secret messages, which she exchanged with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla before a
multibillion euro vaccine deal.
“It is no
secret that I was in contact with top representatives of the companies
producing the vaccines that would get us out of the crisis … just as I sought
advice from the best epidemiologists or virologists in the world,” she told the
European Parliament on Monday.
While the
Commission had argued that the texts were too boring to warrant being released,
the case became a flashpoint for transparency activists and right-wing groups.
They argued that it demonstrated von der Leyen’s Commission was a particularly
unaccountable one.
“The
implication that these contracts were somehow inappropriate against the
European interests is, by any measure, simply wrong,” von der Leyen said.
No
secrets, no hidden clauses
The
debate of no-confidence in von der Leyen — the first for a Commission president
since 2014 — was triggered by right-wing Romanian MEP, Gheorghe Piperea, over
the Pfizergate scandal.
But von
der Leyen was unrepentant, sticking to the Commission's previous line and
without giving any additional information on what was actually included within
texts ― which we still may never see.
“Contract
negotiations were conducted by the Commission and member states together,” she
said. “Every single contract negotiated was examined in detail in the capitals
before being signed by each of the 27 member states.
“There
were no secrets, no hidden clauses, no obligation to buy for member states.”
She told
lawmakers that “all 27 member states decided to buy vaccines on their own will,
so any claims that any member state did not know about the contracts, about the
prices or the amounts, is dishonest.
“In fact,
let’s call it by its name. It is simply a lie.”
Von der
Leyen also accused those who have criticized the Commission about the text
messages of “spinning debunked conspiracies.”
Additional
reporting by Max Griera and Nick Vinocur.
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