Latest news with #Pfizergate
Euronews
5 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Ombudswoman asks EU institutions for more transparency amid complaints
The new European Ombudswoman has called on EU institutions to take a more proactive approach to improving transparency, following a rise in complaints about the issue. Teresa Anjinho, who began her mandate in February at the body responsible for holding the bloc's institutions and agencies to account, told Euronews that change was needed. "More can be done, especially at the European Commission, because there are successive delays in the delivery of documents," Anjinho said. "Access to information, which is often delayed, is then denied." According to the Ombudswoman's latest annual report, the bloc's lack of transparency is the biggest concern for EU citizens. "You can see that we had one of the biggest increases in complaints in the area of transparency. 42.2% of complaints are in the area of transparency, essentially access to documents," Anjinho explained. Anjinho stressed that she stood with citizens in her role as the head of the Ombudswoman's Office. "We are not mere administrative watchdogs. We are and must be a guardian of European citizenship and the citizen's right to participate," she said. Anjinho also noted that "the Ombudswoman's Office is an independent institution that acts as a bridge between citizens and the institutions; we are in the middle and what we serve is good European administration". "Any institution, be it (European) Parliament, the Commission or the Council, if it understands this, will always realise that it has an ally in the Ombudswoman's Office in terms of good administration. The fact that we criticise does not have to harm institutional relations," she added. Under her predecessor, the Ombudswoman's Office was involved in complaints against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen regarding messages at the heart of the so-called "Pfizergate" scandal, linked to the purchase of vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Anjinho is now launching her own inquiry into the issue of "revolving doors". It will examine whether former public officials who transition into lobbying or private sector roles may benefit from their previous positions, potentially creating a conflict of interest between public service and private gain.
Euronews
6 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
MEPs seek EU Commission president's resignation with censure motion
A group of European lawmakers has launched an initiative for a no-confidence vote against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, claiming to have collected more than the required 72 signatures to formally submit the motion. Although unlikely to pass, the censure motion could pave the way to broader consequences, replicating the path that led in the 1990s to the voluntary resignation of the EU executive led by Jacques Santer. The move comes in response to a recent court ruling criticising von der Leyen's lack of transparency in relation to the so-called 'Pfizergate' scandal, as well as broader allegations of bypassing the European Parliament and centralising power within the Commission. Romanian hard-right MEP Gheorghe Piperea announced he would submit the motion of censure this week, having gathered signatures from MEPs across at least three political groupings on the right and far-right spectrum: the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), the Patriots, the European of Sovereign Nations group (ESN), as well as some non-affiliated members. Despite participation from individual conservative MEPs, the initiative does not officially represent the ECR group, which includes Italy's ruling party, Fratelli d'Italia, led by Giorgia Meloni. 'ECR MEPs participating in this initiative are doing so on an individual basis,' a spokesperson clarified. While the threshold to initiate a no-confidence vote is relatively low, the chances of removing von der Leyen and her Commission are slim. Such a motion requires a two-thirds majority in the 720-seat European Parliament. 'I hope other groups will join the motion, but I'm not naive,' Piperea told Euronews, acknowledging the unlikelihood of success. The 'Santer Commission' precedent That is not the direct aim however. 'Still, we could gather a couple hundred votes, which may trigger a broader debate among politicians and the public, possibly leading to her voluntary resignation,' said Piperea. No-confidence votes are infrequent but historically significant in the European Parliament. In 1999, the entire European Commission, led by Jacques Santer, resigned amid fraud allegations and transparency issues, despite surviving a confidence vote. Piperea, a lawyer by profession, said that even if the motion fails, it could serve as a valuable political tool. 'There seems to be an unwritten rule that the Commission, and von der Leyen in particular, cannot be held accountable for mistakes or failures. We must end this. In a democracy, there should be accountability, oversight, and responsibility.' The primary driver behind the motion is the ongoing 'Pfizergate' controversy, centred on von der Leyen's refusal to disclose text messages exchanged with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during COVID-19 vaccine negotiations, For this matter, the EU court recently ruled against her. The motion also criticises her handling of legislative affairs, including the withdrawal of environmental proposals without proper consultation with Parliament. Unlikely perfect storm scenario The court ruling has amplified criticism of von der Leyen across the political spectrum, with socialists, liberals, and greens voicing concern over her leadership and transparency. According to Piperea, socialist MEPs are also discontented with recent budget cuts to anti-poverty programs. Nonetheless, the only scenario that could pose a real threat to von der Leyen would likely be a perfect storm, in which a wide range of political groups—including members of her own centre-right European People's Party (EPP)—turn against her for different reasons. The far-right origins of this initiative may deter broader support for it however. A source from The Left group, which has been among the most vocal opponents of von der Leyen and previously filed its own motion of censure, expressed scepticism. 'Some delegations in our group are strongly committed to the cordon sanitaire and avoid cooperation with the ECR,' the source said. 'They've supported Commissioner Fitto during this mandate and didn't back our earlier censure motion. This feels more like a communication stunt.' Piperea acknowledged the ideological roadblocks. 'Some groups aren't fully opposed to the motion itself, but they hesitate simply because it's coming from the right,' he said.
Russia Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Von der Leyen risks no confidence vote
A group of lawmakers in the European Parliament claim they have secured enough support to initiate a no confidence vote against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen over the Pfizergate scandal, the Financial Times has reported. In May, the EU's Court of Justice ruled that the European Commission wrongly denied the New York Times access to secret text messages between von der Leyen and the CEO of pharma giant Pfizer, Albert Bourla, exchanged during negotiations of a multi-billion dollar Covid-19 vaccine deal. The court rejected the commission's explanation that it did not have the messages in its possession anymore, saying it should provide 'credible explanations' why the texts were not retained and how they were deleted. The EC reacted to the decision by promising to come up with a more detailed reasoning for the denial, but never committed to releasing the texts to the public. Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea told the FT that he will file a motion to stage a no confidence vote on Thursday after his group secured the required 72 signatures. Von der Leyen's 'legally unsound' refusal to share the text messages demonstrated 'a continued pattern of institutional overreach, democratic disregard, and erosion of public trust in the Union's governance,' he argued. The MEP has called on 'the European Commission to resign due to repeated failures to ensure transparency, persistent disregard for democratic oversight and the rule of law within the Union.' In order for the vote of no confidence to succeed, more than two-thirds of MEPs need to be in attendance at the European Parliament in Brussels. Last year, 407 out of 720 lawmakers backed von der Leyen for her second five-year term as president. Piperea acknowledged that the chances of voting out von der Leyen are slim, despite support for the initiative from some members of her own European People's Party. The no confidence vote offers a 'crucial opportunity for constructive and substantiated criticism towards President von der Leyen,' he said. 'It obliges the commission to address concerns and provide justifications.'
Budapest Times
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Budapest Times
Fidesz MEPs: Patriots for Europe group has achieved a breakthrough
The ruling Fidesz's EP delegation said on Friday that the European Parliament's Patriots for Europe group has 'achieved a breakthrough' by contributing to the establishment of an EP body tasked with probing 'suspicious contracts' related to the European Union funding of NGOs. The MEPs told MTI that PfE group's members have for months demanded full transparency in connection with the contracts of NGOs funded by the European Commission. 'European citizens have a right to know where their money ends up and for what purpose,' they said. 'Enough of the deceitful games of the Brussels bureaucrats! We will keep going until it becomes clear to everyone that this is about a group of left-wing activists who pursue political activities with billions of euros in funding from Brussels, often against the interests of taxpayers.' Fidesz said this went against the principles of democracy and transparency, vowing that the Patriots would 'uncover the truth'. One of the first important steps in this process was the establishment of an investigative working group, Kinga Gal, the head of the Fidesz delegation in the European Parliament and the first deputy leader of the PfE group, said. They said the PfE group had been the first to highlight through a series of data requests the fact that the EC had signed more than 37,000 contracts with 'so-called civil society groups' worth a total of 2,800 billion forints (EUR 6.9bn) financed from taxpayer money. Many of these organisations, they added, functioned as political activists whose activities included promoting illegal migration and 'forcing green ideology' at the expense of farmers, entrepreneurs and border protection. But a right-wing majority that came together with the help of the PfE group has voted to set up a working group to investigate 'suspicious NGO contracts', thereby preventing 'Brussels's left wing from sweeping the matter under the rug again', the statement said. Fidesz said the Patriots group would continue its fight for transparency by demanding an investigation into the Pfizergate case and other 'abuses by Brussels'.
France 24
06-06-2025
- Politics
- France 24
EU's von der Leyen 'has to be held accountable' for vaccine texts: Senior MEP Aubry
Aubry reacts to the recent EU General Court ruling over undisclosed vaccine deal text messages between EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the CEO of the pharmaceutical company Pfizer during the Covid-19 pandemic. The court's decision was hailed as a victory for transparency, but von der Leyen has not made the text messages public. "Well, it's a scandal, let's be honest," Aubry says. "And let's face it, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has been negotiating the contract with Pfizer for the vaccines. The price of the vaccines has been increasing out of nowhere, probably from direct negotiations. And those SMS were not just like me sending you a nice and friendly SMS; 'Do you want to have a drink'? No, it was about negotiation of public money. So she has to be held accountable for that. I think, to be honest, she should be resigning." Aubry puts the "Pfizergate" controversy in the context of broader concerns about a lack of transparency in the EU institutions. "How many scandals have we had over the last few years? You might remember ' Qatargate ', and the recent 'Huaweigate', Aubry says. "The core of the issue is opacity. Everything that is dealt, negotiated, agreed upon in the European institutions is done within closed doors, with no possibility for journalists, for NGOs, for citizens to hold the politicians accountable. And that's a problem. We need the independent ethics body that we've been advocating [for], but we also need to take of money out [of the European Parliament]. As an MEP, you should not take a single cent outside of the money that you earn as an MEP." Aubry draws a parallel between attempts to simplify corporate due diligence and sustainability directives and French President Emmanuel Macron 's call to remove "Duty of Care" requirements on multinationals. "This is a trend that is following Trump, quite simply. It's deregulation," Aubry states. "The 'Duty of Care' text is one that I negotiated over the last five years. It's been adopted only a year ago. So democratically speaking, killing a directive that has been adopted only a year ago, that companies were starting to get ready to implement, is a bit of a problem. But most importantly, why is that 'Duty of Care' Directive important? You know, if you take all of the big multinationals, take Nike, take Total, take Carrefour, take Vinci, take whatever companies; they make profits out of the exploitation of workers and the environment. So the principle is very simple for that directive. We are just saying that companies will have to be responsible for their subcontractors, for the whole value chain, because they cannot make profits out of this. They will have to be careful. It's a duty of care! So they will have to prevent human rights violations. And if there are human rights violations, then they can be held responsible and pay fines for it." Aubry calls on progressive forces in the European Parliament to get together and block the watering down of such legislative acts. "To be honest, the Socialists are giving up," Aubry laments. "On the 'Stop-the-clock' directive, which is postponing the implementation of the 'Duty of Care' legislation, precisely to water it down, they voted in favour! How come they voted in favour? They were on our side to negotiate that directive, and now they agree to water it down. So I think this goes beyond that directive. It's a big question now for the whole left, for the Greens, for the Socialists, for all the progressives. Where are you? And what will you tell your kids?" Aubry has been supporting women 's reproductive freedoms, particularly in Poland amid the election of the arch-conservative president, Karol Nawrocki. "You know, there was a time when French women were going to Poland to get abortions. And now it's the other way around," Aubry points out. "And I want to tell all the feminist activists in Poland: we are together with you. We're going to keep helping you. I'm going to be back in Poland early July. I'm going to bring back abortion pills. I'm going to keep fighting to get abortion into the EU Charter for Fundamental Rights. We are in 2025. How come we're still fighting for that very simple right of abortion?" Aubry is a well-known advocate for the Palestinian cause. We ask her if French President Emmanuel Macron is backtracking from his earlier signals that he would recognise a Palestinian state. "It looks like it. There's at least a strong hesitation," she replies. "And I remember when he made his first declaration, he said, well, that it was not the right moment to recognise the state of Palestine. But when will be the right moment? We've got 100 percent of the 2 million Palestinians living in Gaza that are at risk of famine. We've got people dying every single day under the bombs of Israel. We've got an embargo on humanitarian aid. And in the meantime, France is still delivering weapons to Israel. So I will keep fighting strongly to suspend the Association Agreement, the trade association agreement between Israel and the EU. I'll keep fighting for an embargo on weapons. We need to support Gaza. We need to support the Palestinians, because what is at stake in Gaza is not only the Palestinians. It's our humanity. And that's the humanity that we should be fighting for."
