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Von der Leyen Faces Legal Scrutiny Over Pfizer Texts

8/2/2025

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Summary

Story summary

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is under fire as it emerges that text messages exchanged with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during the COVID-19 pandemic may have been deleted. This has sparked legal challenges for failing to disclose the communications, with critics claiming von der Leyen is consolidating power while her vaccine procurement decisions face intense scrutiny.

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Story summary

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is under fire as it emerges that text messages exchanged with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during the COVID-19 pandemic may have been deleted. This has sparked legal challenges for failing to disclose the communications, with critics claiming von der Leyen is consolidating power while her vaccine procurement decisions face intense scrutiny.