EU Chief Facing 'Secret COVID Vaccine Negotiations' Probe, Could It Hinder Reappointment?

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Union (EU) Commission, is under investigation by EU investigative authorities regarding the 'vaccine secret negotiations' during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ursula von der Leyen Photo by Yonhap News

According to a report by Politico on the 1st (local time), the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) recently took over the investigation from the Belgian prosecution into the case concerning COVID-19 vaccine negotiations between the EU Commission and the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer. It has been confirmed that the EPPO is directly examining the case, which is known as the so-called 'Pfizer Gate.'

Earlier, in April 2021, the Commission signed a joint purchase contract for 1.8 billion vaccine doses. The contract size is estimated to be at least 20 billion euros (approximately 29 trillion won).

It is reported that President von der Leyen personally persuaded Albert Bourla, Pfizer's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), via text messages for over a month, successfully securing a large-scale vaccine supply, which at the time led to praise for her 'vaccine diplomacy.'

However, last year, Frederic Walden, an EU lobbyist, filed a criminal complaint with the Belgian prosecution against President von der Leyen, accusing her of abuse of power, destruction of public documents, and conflict of interest, claiming that the vaccine contract caused financial damage to EU member states and that she did not disclose the negotiation-related text messages, which are considered 'public documents.' Around the same time, the US daily The New York Times (NYT) also requested disclosure of the contents of these text messages but was denied and subsequently filed a related lawsuit.

There were also complaints among some EU member states regarding the contract at the time. Poland and Hungary refused to accept the vaccines, arguing that the Commission ordered more vaccines than needed while the legal conclusion on booster shots was unclear in 2022. Pfizer then filed counter-lawsuits against the two countries demanding payment for the promised vaccines, escalating the controversy.

Since the investigation has been transferred to the EPPO, it is expected in principle that mobile phones or related Commission documents could be seized. The EPPO is an agency responsible for investigating and prosecuting cross-border crimes that harm the financial interests of EU member states. It has more authority than individual EU national investigative agencies.

For President von der Leyen, the European Parliament elections are about two months away. Depending on the investigation results, there is a possibility that her plans to seek re-election could be disrupted.