The case became a flashpoint for transparency activists who said it demonstrated the lack of accountability in von der Leyen’s Commission ― and for people who opposed the use of the vaccine in the first place.
No-confidence vote
The deadline for the EU executive to contest the decision in the EU’s top-tier Court of Justice passed earlier this month without the Commission appealing, a spokesperson for the EU courts confirmed.
At the beginning of July, von der Leyen faced a no-confidence vote in the European Parliament over the case, triggered by right-wing Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea.
While the Commission president easily survived the vote after the majority of MEPs backed her leadership, the debate became the first time she has publicly defended herself over the case. She told lawmakers in Strasbourg that some accusations leveled against her were “simply a lie.”
Whether the Commission’s non-appeal means that the messages will be released is another matter.
The court ruling conceded that retrieving the texts will be difficult, and a spokesperson for the Commission said that in line with the ruling it would provide “a more detailed explanation as to why it does not hold the requested documents.”
