Judgment day in EU chiefs Covid vaccine texts case
Breitbart1 day
EU Court Rebukes Commission Over Undisclosed Pfizer Vaccine Texts
Above: EU Commission Pres. Ursula von der Leyen and Norwegian Prime Minister (Unseen) address the media in the Berlaymont in Brussels, Belgium, on April 7, 2025. Image copyright: Thierry Monasse/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
The Commission's handling of vaccine procurement demonstrated swift and effective leadership during an unprecedented crisis, securing billions of desperately needed vaccine doses for EU citizens. The text messages were merely informal communications about scheduling and logistics, not substantive negotiations, and therefore didn't warrant archival under existing document retention policies.
Narrative B
This case exemplifies a concerning pattern of opacity and centralized decision-making at the highest levels of EU governance. The Commission's refusal to disclose communications about a €35 billion public contract raises serious questions about accountability and transparency in crucial policy decisions affecting millions of Europeans.