The Pfizergate case, which concerns the undisclosed text messages exchanged between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer’s CEO Albert Bourla in 2021 to negotiate a huge vaccine contract during the Covid-19 pandemic, has taken an interesting turn.
In the latest development, the plaintiff who sued Von der Leyen over her refusal to disclose her texts now sent a letter to all 27 EU leaders as well as European People's Party (EPP) president Manfred Weber, asking them to dismiss her and all her Commissioners, according to Euronews.
The plaintiff also asked the EPP to withdraw Von der Leyen's candidacy for the position of European Commission President "or any other post within the European institutions" as long as she is the subject of criminal proceedings.
The letter argued that by referring the case to the Court of Justice, the judge could "order the compulsory resignation and forfeiture of pension rights not only of Mrs Von der Leyen but also of all the European Commissioners who make up her Commission."
"It is clear that Mrs Von der Leyen and the members of her Commission are no longer in a position to perform their duties," the letter said. This, it argued, "violates the principle of good administration provided for in Article 41 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights."
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