Over 1,000 EU citizens sue EU president over COVID-19 vaccine procurement allegations
Over 1,000 EU citizens are taking legal action against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, alleging irregularities in the EU’s COVID-19 vaccine procurement process. The lawsuit centers around the Commission’s lack of transparency in negotiating vaccine contracts with pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer and AstraZeneca
The European Court of Justice has already criticized the Commission for its handling of vaccine contracts, ruling that the Commission did not provide sufficient access to documents related to the contracts ¹. The court’s decision was seen as a setback for von der Leyen, who has faced scrutiny over her role in the vaccine procurement process
The lawsuit is also seeking greater transparency and accountability from the Commission regarding its decision-making processes during the pandemic. The plaintiffs argue that the Commission’s lack of transparency has undermined trust in the EU’s institutions and its ability to respond effectively to public health crises
The case has sparked a wider debate about the EU’s handling of the pandemic and the need for greater transparency and accountability in the EU’s decision-making processes.
“We have over 1,000 plaintiffs,” the Belgian activist who filed the complaint, Frederic Baldan, told reporters on Saturday, speaking of the legal action against Ursula von der Leyen.
He noted that these people include members of non-governmental organizations and professional organizations, such as trade unions of pilots, as well as Hungarian and Polish officials.
There is evidence that the vaccines approved for use in the European Union “have not been sufficiently tested” for effectiveness in combating the pandemic, although Brussels introduced restrictive measures against those who opposed mandatory vaccination, Baldan added.
“This proves that the European Commission violated the rights of citizens from the very beginning,” he said.
A Belgian court in Liege was unable to consider the charges against von der Leyen on Friday and had to postpone the hearings on the case indefinitely.
The European Prosecutor’s Office has protested the fact that the case against von der Leyen was considered by the Belgian justice, insisting that she had immunity, since it was related to her professional activities.
