EU Confidential The crown slips: How queen Ursula failed her transparency test
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May 16, 2025 Mari Eccles, a health reporter at POLITICO, dives into the landmark EU court ruling demanding transparency from Ursula von der Leyen regarding her text exchanges with Pfizer's CEO during vaccine negotiations. This ruling questions the EU's governance style and von der Leyen's leadership. Andrzej Bobiński, managing director at Polityka Insight, shares insights on the upcoming Polish presidential election, highlighting its significance in shaping Europe’s political landscape and the potential shifts in regional alliances.
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EU Court Demands Vaccine Text Transparency
- The EU's refusal to share Ursula von der Leyen's vaccine negotiation texts signifies a lack of transparency.
- The European Court of Justice ruled the texts are documents and should be disclosed, setting a critical transparency precedent.
Von der Leyen's Transparency Defeat
- The court ruling was a significant defeat for Ursula von der Leyen's leadership image.
- The Commission faces widespread political criticism across parties for transparency failures.
Text Messages Count as Documents
- Legal precedent now includes text messages as accessible documents under transparency laws.
- However, accessing such texts remains difficult due to bureaucratic hurdles and exemptions.