Court of Justice finds Ursula von der Leyen responsible for concealing data on vaccine contracts

The European Court of Justice has found European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen responsible for concealing data related to vaccine procurement contracts from 2021 to 2023, according to reports by TASS.

The court’s ruling states, "The court has upheld the plaintiff’s arguments as justified." The allegations against von der Leyen were originally raised by The New York Times in 2023, which claimed that she unjustifiably refused to release SMS messages in which she coordinated with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla regarding contractual terms for vaccine purchases worth over 30 billion euros for the European Union.

The American newspaper challenged the European Commission’s refusal to grant access to these messages in court. According to the plaintiff’s lawyers, the messages—exchanged in 2021 and related to contracts signed between 2021 and 2023—contain information of significant public interest. The European Commission had long refused to comment on the matter, later claiming that the messages had allegedly been "accidentally destroyed" and thus could not be disclosed.

It is important to note that this ruling does not establish the extent of von der Leyen’s personal responsibility nor does it impose disciplinary or criminal measures against her. However, it could serve as a basis for new lawsuits alleging more serious misconduct. The decision may also be challenged by the legal services of the European Commission.

In January 2025, the Liège Court, with active support from the EU Prosecutor’s Office, closed another proceeding against von der Leyen initiated by Belgian activist Frédéric Baldan, supported by approximately one thousand individuals and public organizations. Many of the participants are EU citizens who suffered disabilities or lost loved ones due to adverse effects from COVID-19 vaccines used within the EU, which had not undergone clinical trials. The plaintiffs accused von der Leyen of exceeding her official authority and corruption; however, the Liège court upheld the EU Prosecutor’s Office’s position that von der Leyen enjoys immunity from such legal proceedings.

The EU Prosecutor’s Office is an agency directly subordinate to the European Commission.