EU Court Rules Commission Violated Transparency Over Von der Leyen Pfizer Vaccine Texts

The European Court of Justice and the EU General Court have ruled against the European Commission for refusing to disclose secret text messages exchanged between Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during the COVID-19 pandemic vaccine negotiations. The courts found the Commission failed to provide plausible explanations for not retaining or releasing these messages, which relate to multi-billion-euro vaccine deals, raising transparency and accountability concerns. The New York Times initiated legal action after the Commission rejected its freedom of information request, citing that the messages were not kept as official documents. This judicial rebuke highlights accusations of opaque, centralized decision-making within the EU leadership and fuels criticism over potential conflicts of interest and lack of oversight in the procurement process. While the exact content and current existence of the messages remain uncertain, the rulings compel the Commission to revisit its refusal and address public demands for transparency. The controversy underscores broader issues of EU bureaucratic accountability amid one of the largest public health crises in recent history.