The European Parliament rejects the call for a debate on "Pfizergate". The Commission has so far avoided responsibility

The proposal, which was tabled when the plenary week's agenda was approved, was intended to pave the way for a Commission statement and the speedy creation of a parliamentary committee on transparency and accountability. However, Parliament rejected it by a majority.

Meanwhile, last week's ruling by the Court of Justice of the EU confirmed that the European Commission had violated the right of access to information when it failed to respond to a journalist's request regarding text messages between von der Leyen and the head of the pharmaceutical company Pfizer. According to several media reports, this exchange took place shortly before the signing of a billion-dollar contract to buy vaccines.

The court said that even text messages can be official documents and that their non-disclosure does not comply with European law. However, the Commission has not yet taken any political responsibility.

Although the Patriots' proposal did not pass, the pressure for more transparency in the EU institutions is growing - and "Pfizergate" is unlikely to just get off the table.