Brussels 07.02.2024 Today the European People’s Party concluded its XXVIII Congress in Bucharest, co-hosted by Partidul Naţional Liberal (PNL), EPP President Manfred WEBER and EPP Secretary General Thanasis BAKOLAS. The second day featured addresses by the Heads of State or Government, EPP Deputy Prime Ministers and EPP Opposition leaders as well as the nominee for lead candidate for European Commission President, Ursula von der LEYEN.

The Congress elected, following a secret ballot, Ursula von der Leyen as the EPP’s lead candidate for European Commission President ahead of the 2024 elections for the European Parliament. Concerning the electoral process, the full composition of EPP Congress’ delegates with voting rights, as reflected the Congress website (www.epp2024.eu) is 801 delegates.

According to EU regulations and as noted in the EPP statutes (art. 5), 737 out of the 801 delegates had voting rights for the election of the EPP lead candidate at the Congress in Bucharest.

As noted by the President of the EPP Congress’ voting committee in the Plenary, associated Member Parties, or their representatives within the organs and bodies of the association, should not participate in decisions involving the policies and structure of the European Union nor of its institutional system. Therefore, associated member parties cannot take part in the vote for the lead candidate.

Out of the 737 delegates with voting rights for this election, 591 registered to vote.

These are the results of the vote, as announced by the President of the EPP Congress’ voting committee at the conclusion of its workings:

Votes cast: 499
Invalid and blank votes: 10
Valid votes: 489
Yes: 400
No: 89

The promotion of Ursula von der Leyen went on in spite of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation into the EU’s coronavirus vaccine purchases, an announcement that would refocus attention on European Commission President role in the matter.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), and independent EU body, is responsible for investigating and prosecuting financial crimes, including fraud, money laundering and corruption.

In its announcement the office did not specify who was being investigated, or which contracts were the subject of inquiry. But that said, two other watchdog agencies have brought attention to the von der Leyen deal concluded with Pfizer.

Along with the investigation mentioned above a Belgian activist started legal action against EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen for causing financial damage to the Belgian state by negotiating the joint procurement of COVID-19 vaccines by text messages, Belgium media reported.

Frederic Baldan, a lobbyist officially accredited to EU institutions, sued von der Leyen for causing financial damage to the Belgian state when she secured a €35 billion ($38.4 billion) deal with pharma company Pfizer to buy 1.8 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines for EU countries, Belgian weekly Le Vif wrote.

The purchased number of jabs were not in demanded, so the additional funds were needed to destroy them by the EU member-states, receiving an unsolicited service.

According to the investigation of the US-based daily New York Times, von der Leyen negotiated the mega-deal by text messages with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla but claimed later to have erased the conversation.

According to Baldan’s claim, von der Leyen is responsible for “abusing office and title”, “destruction of public documents,” and “illegal usage of interests and corruption.”

The European Ombudsman and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office have also started investigating the allegations, while The New York Times sued the European Commission at the EU Court in February.

Baldan’s lawsuit is the first against the Commission president who could have committed a crime under Belgian criminal law, destroying records of public financial documents. The range of problems causing lawsuits did not effect a perspective a the second mandate.

The French delegation of the EPP from the Les Républicains (“The Republicans”) party, published a letter blasting von der Leyen’s legacy, indicating to their opposition to her re-election.