Accusation of Corruption against Ursula von der Leyen is Absurd / In Spring 2020, the Vast Majority of Citizens Wanted Vaccines Procured as Quickly as Possible

“The accusation of corruption against Ursula von der Leyen is absurd, and I regret that it is being repeated without proper scrutiny,” said Peter Liese, physician and Member of the European Parliament, in light of the ongoing discussion about the motion of no confidence against the European Commission.

“At the beginning of 2021, there was a severe global shortage of COVID-19 vaccines. Many people were desperately waiting to be vaccinated. At that time, the European Commission was urged to accelerate the process and act pragmatically, as had been done, for example, in Israel and the United States.

The delayed delivery of vaccines to the European Union was not due to poor negotiations by the Commission. Rather, Pfizer initially refused to accept the European Union’s liability rules. Nevertheless, it was crucial that the Commission, and President Ursula von der Leyen personally, made an extraordinary effort to secure faster vaccine deliveries. On 1 July 2021, the EU vaccination rate had surpassed that of the United States. All of this must not be forgotten when discussing potential shortcomings and the issue of transparency,” Liese concluded.