European Commission Admits SMS Contact with Pfizer

luxembourg - The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has confirmed having SMS contact with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.

The representative of the Commission confirmed the existence of the SMS messages but stated that it is unclear whether they have been included in the official archives of the European Commission. It is also uncertain if the SMS messages are still on Von der Leyen's phone.

In 2021, the European Union signed a deal with Pfizer for over a billion Covid vaccines. The New York Times revealed that Von der Leyen had regular text communication with Bourla, which played a role in the deal.

The New York Times took legal action against the European Commission after the Commission refused to disclose the SMS exchanges between Von der Leyen and Pfizer upon the newspaper's request.

The Court of Justice is currently deliberating on the case between The New York Times and the European Commission, with a ruling expected in the coming months, according to the Court.