Belgian court dismisses lawsuit against EU's von der Leyen over Pfizer reports

A Belgian appeals court has dismissed a lawsuit against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen concerning text messages she exchanged with Pfizer’s CEO during COVID-19 vaccine negotiations, her lawyer Adrien Masset confirmed on January 21.

The court in Liège declared the complaints filed by Belgian ex-lobbyist Frederic Baldan “inadmissible,” citing a lack of evidence of personal harm. “The court found the complainants wrong across the board,” Masset told AFP, according to Caliber.Az.

Baldan’s lawsuit, supported by anti-vaccine groups, Hungary, and Poland, argued that von der Leyen exceeded her authority and violated the European Commission’s code of conduct during vaccine procurement. This case follows his earlier failed attempt in Brussels last year.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) launched an investigation in 2022 into the vaccine procurement process, which remains ongoing. Critics have accused the European Union of a lack of transparency in its dealings with key suppliers like Pfizer.

While the European Commission acknowledges the existence of the text messages, it maintains that they were not part of the official negotiations and are no longer available. A separate case brought by The New York Times over the Commission’s refusal to release the texts under a freedom of information request is currently before the European Court of Justice.

Responding to the court’s decision, Baldan expressed his discontent, saying, “The EU has now become an area of non-freedom, insecurity, and injustice.”

By Khagan Isayev