The European Commission has confirmed that it reviewed and subsequently lost text messages between President Ursula von der Leyen and the CEO of Pfizer, sent before a multi-billion dollar Covid-19 vaccine deal was struck, Politico reports.
An official document sent to the New York Times this week says that in the summer of 2021, von der Leyen's chief of staff discovered the messages in question, which were later not archived. According to the EC, their content was "logistical" and "short-lived", which is why it was not considered necessary to officially register them.
Von der Leyen's mobile phone was then changed several times, without the messages being transferred, the document also shows.
In May, the EU General Court ruled that the Commission had broken the rules by not disclosing the content of correspondence requested through a public information request. According to Politico, the Commission will not appeal the decision to a higher court.
The case, known as "Pfizergate", has caused serious public and political repercussions. Transparency activists use it as an example of the lack of accountability in Von der Leyen's management. The case is also an argument for critics of the EU's vaccination policy.
Earlier this month, Von der Leyen avoided a vote of no confidence in the European Parliament, initiated by Romanian far-right MEP Gheorghe Piperea.