Pfizergate shakes the EU. Von der Leyen’s messages with CEO investigated

The investigation focuses on an alleged exchange of messages between the President of the European Commission and the CEO of Pfizer as part of the 2021 agreement to purchase vaccines for Covid-19.

The European Public Prosecutor is investigating suspicions of exchange of favors between the CEO of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, Albert Bourla, and Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission.

According to documents obtained by Politico, the process began in early 2023 in the Belgian city of Liège, following a complaint made by lobbyist Frédéric Baldan, who has links to anti-vaccination group Bon Sens.

The complaint was corroborated by the Governments of Hungary and Poland — Poland has since withdrawn the complaint following the change in its Government. It is recalled that both Hungary and Poland are also being sued by Pfizer for payment failures after the interruption of deliveries, citing excess supply and financial difficulties caused by the war in Ukraine.

Baldan’s complaint refers to a alleged exchange of messages between von der Leyen and Bourla within the scope of the agreement to purchase vaccines against covid-19, which exceeded 20 billion euros.

The indictment documents state that the President of the Commission “interfered in public functions” in a corrupt manner and with conflicts of interest and that she also destroyed incriminating SMS. Despite the investigation, so far no one has been formally charged in the process.

The New York Times, which was the first to report this exchange of messages, also filed a lawsuit against the European Commission due to its refusal to reveal the content of messages or even confirm its existence.

The revelation that the case — dubbed “Pfizergate” — is now in the hands of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office comes at a delicate time for von der Leyen, who has already announced her candidacy for a second term at the head of the Commission. His possible re-election will be in the hands of the European Parliament that emerges from the European elections in June.

Until now, von der Leyen has avoided commenting publicly on the case. In a response to Politico, the President of the European Commission assured that “everything that was necessary about this has been said and exchanged”.