The episode adds to growing criticism among journalists in Brussels of the Commission’s communications service. Complaints range from mixed messaging on policies to questions over transparency.
Ribera, a prominent Spanish Socialist, has occasionally voiced opposition to the official line of the Commission, which is dominated by commissioners from von der Leyen’s center-right European People’s Party, in particular on green issues and on Israel.
In an interview with POLITICO, Ribera said she had been sitting in her office in the Commission’s Berlaymont headquarters in Brussels at the time the press conference would have taken place. Instead of the commissioner taking the podium, the Commission published a press release containing remarks by Ribera, and sent officials from its competition department to give accredited reporters an off-record briefing, meaning they could not be identified by name.
‘We thought it was enough’
“We thought that it was enough with the statements and with my comments being made, knowing that I could be available for journalists in the following days,” Ribera said. “It was not that I was going to disappear.”
Ribera said a report published by the Capitol Forum that said von der Leyen had forbidden her to hold a press conference was inaccurate. Ribera had given a speech in Paris earlier in the week contradicting the Commission’s official line on Israel by describing the country’s action in Gaza as “genocide.”
Three days after the Google decision, Podestà told reporters Ribera had been unavailable on the Friday evening because she “was traveling to Ethiopia very early Saturday morning.” Ribera did travel to Addis Ababa, but not until late Saturday evening.
Podestà told POLITICO her remarks had been based on information provided by Ribera’s team. “The Cabinet of EVP [Executive Vice-President] Ribera had indicated to me that one of the reasons for which it was agreed not to have a press conference on the Google case was that the EVP had to travel to Ethiopia immediately the day after,” she said.