Follow the Money: The Podcast Von der Leyen’s secret texts with Pfizer
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Sep 10, 2025 Lise Witteman, deputy editor and founder of Follow the Money's Brussels desk, dives into the explosive Pfizergate scandal involving EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's secret texts with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla. They discuss the implications of these texts for democracy and transparency, the controversial vaccine deal during the pandemic, and the European Commission's refusal to release the messages. Uncover unanswered questions about pricing and liability while exploring the ongoing quest for accountability in the EU.
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Texts Matter For Major Public Deals
- The Pfizer texts matter because the deal was the EU's largest and involved public money during a health emergency.
- Public scrutiny of such informal communications is essential for democratic accountability.
Request Sparked By A New York Times Scoop
- Alexander Fanta read a New York Times story and immediately filed an access request for von der Leyen's texts.
- That request launched his multi-year pursuit of the messages under EU transparency rules.
Commission Called Texts 'Short‑Lived'
- The Commission argued instant messages are short-lived and not routinely kept.
- That stance conflicted with public statements that the deal was negotiated via calls and texts.