Ursula von der Leyen Faces Scrutiny Over Vaccine Contracts
Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, is facing a significant challenge as she seeks re-election for a second term. On Thursday, she needs to secure the support of more than half of the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) during a vote in Strasbourg. However, a recent ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (EU) could sway the opinions of the more hesitant MEPs, particularly among the Greens, who have criticized her for a lack of transparency.
The Court of Justice of the EU ruled that the European Commission had not provided the public with sufficiently broad access to contracts for the purchase of Covid-19 vaccines. This decision comes as a blow to von der Leyen, who oversaw the signing of 13 contracts in 2020 and 2021, covering the supply of one billion doses of vaccines to EU Member States. The Luxembourg judges believe that the Commission's actions did not align with the principles of transparency, as mandated by a 2001 European regulation on public access to documents from the EU's major institutions.
Legal and Public Backlash Over Vaccine Purchases
The court's ruling stemmed from a case brought forward by a group of MEPs and individuals who, in 2021, requested access to all documents related to the vaccine purchases to ensure that public interest was protected. The Commission had only granted partial access, providing redacted versions of the documents online. This partial disclosure led the applicants to pursue legal action, resulting in the court annulling the Commission's decisions due to irregularities, including the refusal to fully disclose conflict of interest declarations from the European executive members involved in the negotiations.
The controversy over the vaccine contracts is further compounded by an ongoing investigation by the European Public Prosecutor's Office, which began in October 2022. This investigation followed a heated debate sparked by a New York Times report revealing an exchange of SMS messages between Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla. The Commission's refusal to disclose the content of these messages to a journalist led to criticism from the EU ombudsman in the summer of 2022.
As von der Leyen seeks to secure her re-election, the scrutiny over the transparency of the Commission's actions during the Covid-19 pandemic remains a critical issue. The outcome of Thursday's vote will determine whether she can overcome this hurdle and continue her leadership of the European Commission.
- The European Commission's handling of the Covid-19 vaccine contracts has been under intense scrutiny. The contracts were part of a group purchase strategy negotiated by the Commission on behalf of the 27 EU Member States. This approach was intended to streamline the procurement process and ensure equitable distribution of vaccines across Europe.
- The majority of the vaccine doses were procured from the American-German partnership Pfizer/BioNTech, although other manufacturers such as Moderna, AstraZeneca, Janssen, Novavax, and Valneva also had their vaccines approved by the European regulator. The total financial commitment for these purchases was approximately 2.7 billion euros.
- The legal challenges and ongoing investigations highlight the complexities and pressures faced by the European Commission during the pandemic. Ensuring transparency and maintaining public trust are essential as the Commission continues to navigate the aftermath of the Covid-19 crisis.
