#21: BIG PHARMA'S INFLUENCE OVER THE EU EXPLODED DURING PANDEMIC
Spanish communists fail to shut down conservative award + more US interference in Hungary's elections + judge suspended after overturning Covid masking rules + MORE!
PANDEMIC HAS MAGNIFIED BIG PHARMA’S GRIP ON THE EU
Big Pharma behemoths like Pfizer and Moderna have seen their influence over the European Union grow disproportionately over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, a new report reveals.
The report titled Access Denied – What happens when Big Pharma is in the driver’s seat was authored by the UK StopAIDS charity and France’s Global Health Advocates.
As first reported by Gript, researchers based their findings on interviews with MEPs, officials from Moderna and Pfizer, the EU Ombudsman and other watchdogs.
“We find that whilst industry influence existed even before the pandemic, this influence was magnified at a time when the continent was desperate to vaccinate its population in the face of a new virus,” the report concluded.
“This resulted in accommodating industry requests on several matters, from pricing, liability, transparency, to intellectual property.”
At the centre of the matter is the European Commission’s refusal to cough up details about contracts signed with Covid-19 vaccine producers, which some have speculated places President Ursula von der Leyen in a compromised position.
Contract documents released to the public have been heavily redacted. Additionally a number of text messages between von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla have inexplicably been sealed.
“The EC (European Commission) also agreed to extensive confidentiality requirements with pharmaceutical corporations that may not be fully consistent with EU legislation,” argued the report authors.
Several bodies are currently investigating the acquisition of Covid-19 vaccines including the chief fraud prosecutor, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.
SPANISH COMMUNISTS FAIL TO SHUT DOWN POPULIST PRESIDENT OF MADRID
On Jan. 24, far-leftist students attempted to prevent the President of the Community of Madrid Isabel Diaz Ayuso from being distinguished as an “illustrious alumni” by her Alma Mater, the Complutense University of Madrid.
The main issue students had with Ayuso was the fact that she’s supported by Spain’s right-wing Vox party and is the head of the conservative People’s Party.
Anarchists and communists demonstrated outside of the ceremony where Ayuso was to receive her reward, calling her a “fascist.”
Not all students opposed Ayuso, however, as a contingent of protesters chanted “liberty” in opposition to the far-left demonstrators.
“Those who believe that the university is theirs try to boycott the act of recognition of Isabel Díaz Ayuso as an illustrious student of the Complutense. But a group of young people came out in defense of the President of the Community of Madrid. Firm before the totalitarians,” wrote a Twitter user.
CROATIA’S PRESIDENT CALLS GERMANY’S FOREIGN MINISTER NUTS OVER RUSSIA WAR COMMENT
Croatian President Zoran Milanovic called recent comments by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock claiming that Germany was at war with Russia a lapse of sanity while speaking to the media last week.
On Jan. 26, Baerbock told a meeting of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg: "We are fighting a war against Russia, not against each other."
“The German Foreign Minister said that we must be united because we are at war with Russia. I quote: "We are at war with Russia." I didn't know that. Maybe Germany is at war with Russia again, then good luck to them, maybe it will work out better than it did 70 years ago,” said Milanovic.
“Well, we are not at war with anybody. And I don't know how tanks will help Ukraine. Maybe they will help, or maybe they will burn up just like they did in Iraq. We will not consider this, and I ask you to take it seriously. I myself will insist on it as long as I can.”
Milanovic has opposed efforts to get Croatia embroiled in the Ukrainian conflict and has been accused of spreading Russian propaganda by his opponents.
The Croatian president isn’t the only one to react negatively to Baerbock’s statement. On Jan. 27 the French foreign ministry released a statement saying that the nation was “not at war with Russia and none of our partners are.”
EVEN MORE US FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IN HUNGARY’S ELECTIONS
Recently, it has been revealed that Hungary's left-wing opposition has received a much larger sum of foreign funding than previously acknowledged, which has sparked accusations of potential interference from the United States and Switzerland.
The National Security Committee, which was established to examine the issue, has recently disclosed that a Swiss organization of unknown origin donated nearly €2.57 million to the opposition platform Ezalényeg.
Despite the alleged foreign interference, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Fidesz won in a landslide.
A key US influence is Dávid Korányi, who once was a chief advisor for a well-known opponent of Orbán.
The funds were alleged to be dispersed over a variety of sectors beyond the political including opposition media networks.
Legal experts within Hungary say that the disclosures could lead to future criminal charges, as accepting foreign funding to influence elections breaks electoral laws within the country.
JUDGE SUSPENDED AFTER OVERTURNING COMPULSORY MASK RULES
A German judge who overturned Covid-19 mask mandates for schoolchildren in 2021 was suspended by his governing superiors.
In April 2021, Weimar District Judge Christian Dettmar declared that mask mandates announced by the Thuringian Ministry of Education were unconstitutional and void for two schools in the region – allowing children to attend the schools maskless.
Soon after the decision, the government went on the offensive against Dettmar and filed a complaint against him, eventually leading to a higher court overturning his decision.
Furthermore, criminal proceedings are being considered against Dettmar for allegedly overstepping his authority and departing from the law when making the deicison.
Dettmar could face up to five years in prison should the case go to court.