The European Commission was wrong to refuse to release EU President Ursula von der Leyen’s messages with Pfizer chief Albert Bourla, an EU court has ruled. EU boss von der Leyen has faced scrutiny over claims that she kept secret and deleted text messages with Bourla over Covid vaccine purchases. In 2023, the European Commission was sued by the New York Times over its refusal to release text messages between von der Leyen and the Pfizer boss. Von der Leyen and Bourla had exchanged a number of personal messages, which the commission suggested may have been deleted during the Covid pandemic. Reporters had asked to see the secret messages between von der Leyen and Bourla, which were sent just before a multibillion euro Covid vaccine deal between Pfizer and the EU was reached.

Source: The Irish Times May 14, 2025 15:29 UTC