Pfizergate: The Unseen Texts that Shook the EU

The New York Times reported that text messages exchanged between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during the COVID-19 pandemic have likely been destroyed. These messages, exchanged as the EU sought vaccines, were intended to facilitate calls but were not retained as official documents.

In a legal confrontation, the European Union's refusal to share these texts under transparency laws led to court actions, with the court deeming the Commission's explanation unsatisfactory. Von der Leyen's head of cabinet, Bjoern Seibert, examined her phone and found no trace of the requested messages. The commission maintains that such communications do not necessarily need to be archived.

Critics argue that von der Leyen and Seibert are centralizing power within the EU's executive branch. The scandal, termed Pfizergate, contributed to the first no-confidence vote against a commission president in over a decade, which von der Leyen survived.

(With inputs from agencies.)