BRUSSELS — Ursula von der Leyen publicly defended herself for the first time regarding text messages she exchanged with the head of the vaccination program during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, and she dismissed some of the accusations against her as "simply lies," according to Politico.

The President of the European Commission was summoned before Members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg as part of a debate preceding Thursday's vote of no confidence. While it is highly unlikely that she will lose, the very fact that the vote is taking place is indicative of growing opposition, the publication noted.

Much of the criticism directed at von der Leyen has focused on the "Pfizergate" scandal. In May, the EU Court of Justice ruled that the Commission did not have the right to block access to confidential messages that she exchanged with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla before the signing of a multi-billion euro contract for vaccine deliveries.

"It is no secret that I was in contact with the top executives of the companies that were producing the vaccines that were supposed to get us out of the crisis... just as I sought advice from the best epidemiologists and virologists in the world," she told the European Parliament on Monday.

The case has become a point of contention for transparency activists, who argue that it demonstrates the Commission under von der Leyen's leadership is particularly irresponsible.

"The opinion that these contracts were in any way contrary to the interests of Europe is simply wrong from every point of view," von der Leyen said.

The debate was initiated by Romanian MEP Gheorghe Pipere in connection with the Pfizergate scandal.

However, von der Leyen was unwilling to back down, maintaining her previous position and providing no further information about the content of the messages—which may never be seen.

"The contracts were negotiated by the Commission together with the member states," she stated. "Each individual contract was thoroughly examined by all 27 member states before being signed. There were no secrets, no hidden clauses, no obligation for member states to purchase."

She told lawmakers that "all 27 member states decided to purchase the vaccines voluntarily, so any claim that a member state was unaware of the contracts, prices, or quantities is dishonest."

Von der Leyen also accused those who criticized the Commission over the text messages of "spreading debunked conspiracy theories."

Politico/gnews.cz - GH