Grand Unveiling: EU Court Orders Disclosure of von der Leyen-Pfizer CEO Texts
European Court Decides on Exposure of Text Communications Between Pfizer CEO and European Commission President von der Leyen - European court decides on Pfizer CEO's text message rental case
Hold onto your hats, folks! The EU Court's ruling is causing quite a stir—it's all about those secret texts between Ursula von der Leyen, the EU's big boss, and Albert Bourla, Pfizer's fearless CEO. Here's the lowdown:
The dispute originates from a transparency issue revolving around the chats, which were somehow misplaced and can't be found by the Brussels authority. A Commission official remarked that the exchanged messages didn't hold any major information. But, hey, who knows what juicy tidbits were hidden amongst the lines!
The decision is still up in the air, as both parties can appeal the ruling coming up on Wednesday and drag the issue to the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Until then, we'll just have to be patient and wait for the next chapter in this dramatic saga!
A Little Background:
This tension bubbled to the surface when journalist Matina Stevi from The New York Times requested access to the confidential documents. The General Court of the European Union, on May 14, 2025, ruled that the European Commission dropped the ball on transparency regulations by refusing to hand over the texts. In essence, the court declared that the Commission's decision to withhold the documents was unacceptable[1][2][3].
This ruling underscores the need for transparency under the Access to Documents Regulation, which is designed to provide the public with the most comprehensive access to documents possible[3]. Failure to comply could have significant implications, suggesting a lack of transparency in communication, especially in matters of great public interest like the COVID-19 vaccine negotiations[4].
Legally speaking, this case (T-36/23) is a challenge to the Commission's stance on not releasing documents, a decision that the court deemed unjustified. The judgment acts as a clarion call for the Commission to bolster transparency in its decision-making processes, notably in areas pertaining to public health and policy[3].
Stay tuned for more updates in this thrilling tale of transparency!
- Text Messages
- EU
- Release
- CEO
- Luxembourg
- Ursula von der Leyen
- Coronavirus
- New York Times
The EU's top court has ordered the release of text messages between Ursula von der Leyen, EU's leader, and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, following a ruling that the European Commission failed to comply with Article 85 (1) of the Treaty, regarding transparency in the Access to Documents Regulation. In the political landscape, this ruling highlights the importance of transparency in discussions about critical matters, like the COVID-19 vaccine negotiations.
