Text Messages with Pfizer's Boss during the Pandemic: EU Court's Triumph over Commission
Pfizer SMS Exchange During Pandemic Faces Setback at EU Court - EU Court Rules Against Commission in SMS Pfizer Pandemic Dispute
Here we dive into the juicy details of the legal tussle swirling around the alleged text exchanges between Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission's president, and Pfizer CEO, Albert Bourla. The gist? The feisty Brussels authority attempted to wiggle out of releasing these communications, claiming they couldn't locate them. But guess who called their bluff? Yup, the European Court!
So, the heart of the controversy revolves around messages that allegedly passed between the power duo from January 2021 to May 11, 2022. You might recall that during this chaotic pandemic period, the EU managed to secure global vaccine supplies for its member states, courtesy of Pfizer and their partner BioNTech. Keep in mind, the EU Commission was the main supplier for this life-saving medication amidst astronomical global demand.
But what's a controversy without some shadows? Part of the procurement deal was kept under wraps, inviting accusations of transparency gone awry. Matina Stevis, a sharp-eyed journalist from the "New York Times," asked for access to the confidential chats. Guess what? The commission flat-out refused. And as you probably expect, Matina, being a plucky journalist, took her complaint straight to the EU court. And boy, did she win!
The court based its verdict on the regulation on access to documents — pretty simple. In a nutshell, all documents belonging to EU organizations should be available to the public. Oh, and here's where it gets interesting: when an authority claims a document is nonexistent, there's a presumption it's true, but it can be challenged — and challenged it was!
The commission's arguing points throughout the case tended to be inaccurate, changing and, well, just plain dubious, while Matina, per usual, provided concrete evidence. With the weight of those repeated messages, any assumptions of their nonexistence were promptly quashed by the court.
The court stressed that the commission needed to provide believable explanations about the missing documents rather than just assuming they didn't exist. But the court did not go into specifics about the search methods they used or explain if the messages were purposefully deleted, the phone replaced, or if the absence was due to automatic erasure. Also, it didn't sit well with folks that the commission didn't see these chats as important enough to save.
In simple terms:
- The commission's attempts to conceal the texts? Deemed unconvincing.
- The court ruled against the commission, overturning its decision to keep the messages hidden.
- There's no clear evidence of deleted messages; instead, the commission failed to substantiate their absence.
- The court's judgment, served on May 14, 2025, annuls the commission's refusal to release the chats. No update on pending or ongoing appeals has surfaced.
This case stand as a milestone in EU transparency during pandemic-era vaccine procurement.
- In the case involving text messages between Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission's president, and Pfizer CEO, Albert Bourla, the European Court ruled against the commission's decision to keep the messages hidden, finding their attempts to conceal the texts as unconvincing.
- The court's judgement served on May 14, 2025, annuls the commission's refusal to release the chats, but no update on pending or ongoing appeals has surfaced yet, highlighting the importance of transparency during pandemic-era vaccine procurement in the EU.
