Ursula von der Leyen on COVID-19 Vaccines
TL;DR
Ursula von der Leyen strongly advocated for and secured a massive portfolio of COVID-19 vaccines for the European Union.
Key Points
The Commission, under her leadership, entered into numerous advance purchase agreements to secure COVID-19 vaccine doses for EU member states.
She defended the joint procurement strategy as essential to ensuring fair and timely access to vaccines for all EU citizens.
Legal proceedings, including a court ruling in May 2025, related to the non-disclosure of text messages exchanged with a vaccine executive.
Summary
Ursula von der Leyen, in her capacity as the President of the European Commission, was the central figure in securing advance purchase agreements for COVID-19 vaccines on behalf of the European Union member states. Her core position emphasized the necessity of a unified, collective EU procurement strategy to ensure equitable access and leverage the bloc's purchasing power against pharmaceutical companies. This involved negotiating with multiple manufacturers to build a diverse vaccine portfolio that included deals with companies like Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, among others, to safeguard the population against the pandemic. The strategy aimed to secure doses for all EU citizens in a timely manner, often facing public scrutiny over the speed and transparency of the negotiations.
The execution of this strategy, however, generated controversy, particularly regarding the level of transparency surrounding high-level communications with vaccine producers. A notable instance involved the commission's review process regarding text messages exchanged between the Commission President and the CEO of a major vaccine producer, which ultimately led to legal challenges and rulings about the accessibility of those communications. Despite these transparency debates, the initial stance translated into one of the world's largest coordinated vaccine purchasing efforts, underscoring her commitment to the EU's public health response via pre-purchased supplies.
Key Quotes
“We were late in granting authorisation. We were too optimistic about mass production. And maybe we also took for granted that the doses ordered would actually arrive on time”
Frequently Asked Questions
Ursula von der Leyen's position was strongly positive, centering on securing large volumes of diverse vaccines for the European Union. She championed the collective procurement strategy to ensure equitable access across member states.
Yes, the Commission President was the key political figure leading the European Commission's efforts in negotiating and signing advance purchase agreements for COVID-19 vaccines. This centralized approach was designed to benefit all EU nations.
Yes, she has faced scrutiny regarding the transparency of her communications during the procurement process, specifically related to undisclosed text messages with a pharmaceutical CEO. The Commission reviewed these texts before they were later subject to legal challenges.
Sources8
Speech by President von der Leyen at the European Parliament Plenary Session on the COVID-19 vaccination strategy
EU court case over von der Leyen's vaccine texts reignites transparency debate
Commission reviewed von der Leyen’s Pfizer’s texts, then let them disappear
The EU’s Vaccine Procurement Strategy and Its Implications for Global Health Equity
EU court rules on a lack of transparency around Ursula von der Leyen’s texts with Pfizer
EU Court Ruling Forces Release of Von der Leyen’s Texts With Pfizer Chief
Statement on the European Commission’s COVID-19 vaccine strategy
EU court annuls rejection of bid to see EU’s von der Leyen vaccine messages with Pfizer
* This is not an exhaustive list of sources.