The European Commission’s failure to appeal the Court’s ruling in the Pfizergate case highlights ongoing transparency issues in the EU. Missing texts between von der Leyen and Pfizer’s CEO raise questions about accountability in vaccine negotiations—questions the Commission’s vague explanations have yet to answer.
The European Commission has indicated that it is prepared to initiate legal proceedings against Hungary should the transparency legislation move forward. In response, EU Affairs Minister János Bóka dismissed the renewed focus on the country’s rule of law as ‘political hysteria and pressure’.
Penalties related to Hungary’s dispute with the European Commission over migration policy exceeded €500 million by mid-April. Following a verdict by the European Court of Justice, Hungary is obliged to pay €1 million per day—among other fines—until it implements legislation in compliance with EU law.
In his Facebook post, Minister for European Union Affairs János Bóka criticized the EU Commission for its mandate concerning Hungary to maintain the capacity to process nearly 8,000 foreign nationals at the border, as per the controversial EU Migration Pact passed by the EU Parliament this April.
According to the Commissioner for Human Rights, both the draft legislative package submitted to parliament and the government’s parallel proposal, which seeks to integrate the new office into the Fundamental Law, are ‘so ambiguous that the proposed office could be used as a weapon against anyone considered an adversary.
Iliana Ivanova remarked on the unfortunate situation where young people are missing out on opportunities, emphasizing, however, that ‘rules are rules and must be adhered to.’
‘But anyways, a changing of the guard is coming. And that means that Ursula von der Leyen—by the way, nominated, if not created, by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel—, just like Jens Stoltenberg, has to look for a new job. Pony riding is obviously no option for her any more. She is a political animal, a political wolf maybe. Too bad that there are technical and political obstacles.’
The text messages between EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla were never released since they could not be found, according to the official explanation by the EC.
The European Commission has approved the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) for 2025–2027, allocating 1.3 billion euros to key technologies that will shape Europe’s future and technological sovereignty. The initiative will support AI development, cybersecurity, and digital skills training.
‘The EU will now present the new multiannual financial framework in the spring. And this is a consensual project. So all member states have to accept the Commission’s proposal. And therefore, obviously, for negotiating, Hungary can be there any time. This is a great ground for us to change things and, I would say, create a level playing field for us in the negotiations,’ she also told Hungarian Conservative.