Hungary demands transparency from European Commission over Ursula von der Leyen’s Pfizer ties

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó has said that the European Commission is under increasing pressure to disclose information regarding its President Ursula von der Leyen’s relations with the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, following multibillion-dollar vaccine contracts made during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Szijjártó called for immediate transparency, stressing the importance of shedding light on the decision-making process behind these major vaccine purchases, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

The minister demanded that the European Commission release all relevant information without delay, particularly in light of a recent ruling by the European Court regarding von der Leyen's role in the negotiations with Pfizer.

“We strongly demand that this information be made public without delay,” Szijjártó stated, adding that the public deserves to understand the financial aspects of the deals that were struck. 

He raised several critical questions about the process, saying, “What financial discussions did they have? Why did the European Commission pay such an astronomical sum, and why was vaccination delayed in Europe? Why is the healthcare system in many countries on the brink of collapse? How did it happen that Europe ended up among the last in terms of vaccination rates?”

By Naila Huseynova