An EU court previously admonished the European Commission for its failure to submit its president’s messages for public scrutiny
The European Commission is under a new investigation over its failure to preserve President Ursula von der Leyen’s communications, European Ombudswoman Teresa Anjinho announced on Tuesday.
The inquiry focuses on a text message von der Leyen reportedly received in January from French President Emmanuel Macron via the encrypted Signal app. The commission declined to release the message under a freedom of information request, saying it had been auto-deleted.
The text was related to EU negotiations on a contentious trade agreement with Mercosur, a bloc of Latin American nations. The deal was finalized last December but has yet to take effect.
Macron has publicly criticized the deal, which French farmers fear will expose them to heavy competition from Brazilian and Argentinian beef producers. Politico described Macron’s message as an attempt to “blow up” the treaty.
Journalist Alexander Fanta of investigative outlet Follow the Money said he filed the complaint after the commission refused to provide the text. He accused von der Leyen’s chief of staff of allowing the erasure after his formal request for it, calling that “an absolute no-no.” He added that the commission’s explanation of auto-deletion “sounds like an excuse” and should not stand.
Fanta previously sought access to von der Leyen’s text exchanges with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla about an EU Covid-19 vaccine supply deal. The EU’s Court of Justice ruled in May that the commission’s failure to retain those messages and make them available for scrutiny was unlawful. The commission in response pledged to review its record-keeping practices.
Von der Leyen is currently facing two separate censure motions – one from the right and another from the left in the European Parliament – filed after her mid-September State of the Union speech. Lawmakers cited the Mercosur deal as one of the factors eroding confidence in her leadership.
