Non-attached MEP Friedrich Pürner has asked the European Commission what consequences Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will face for breaching transparency rules in connection with the so-called 'Pfizer SMS' affair, and whether an internal investigation has been opened. The written question, submitted on 14 April 2026, follows a recent EU court ruling that found von der Leyen had violated transparency obligations by failing to properly document text messages related to billion-euro vaccine negotiations.
The question is a follow-up to an earlier parliamentary question (E-003738/2025) from September 2025, to which the Commission replied on 30 March 2026. In that reply, the responsible commissioner stated that Commission staff have a professional duty to ensure that important, non-short-lived content is registered under Commission Decision 2021/2121. Pürner now seeks to know what specific consequences the Commission President will face for her own failure to comply with these rules.
Concrete asks and policy direction The MEP's three-part question demands: (1) the consequences for von der Leyen personally; (2) whether an internal investigation has been launched, and if not, why; and (3) what control mechanisms exist to ensure that relevant communication content is properly archived, particularly for the Commission President and Commissioners. The question does not set numerical targets but calls for specific accountability measures and systemic safeguards.
Expected follow-up The Commission is required to respond within approximately six weeks. The answer will signal the institution's stance on enforcing transparency rules at the highest level and whether it considers the court ruling a serious breach warranting disciplinary action or a procedural matter to be addressed through existing rules. The outcome could have implications for public trust in EU decision-making and for future documentation practices in the Commission.
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