EU Ombudsman launches investigation against Ursula von der Leyen over secret group chat

Theresa Anginho, the European Ombudsman, has initiated proceedings against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, BelTA reports.

The investigation was launched over a secret group chat with several European politicians. Von der Leyen is reported to have corresponded with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni, Volodymyr Zelensky, and outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The investigation was prompted by the European Commission's refusal to disclose the contents of the chat messages following a request from the Dutch organization Follow the Money. The European Ombudsman has launched an investigation into the text messages of EC President Ursula von der Leyen. The Ombudsman is examining whether the EU executive erred in deciding not to share the data with journalists.

These events have become "yet another transparency challenge for Ursula von der Leyen," according to the Berliner Zeitung.