**Von der Leyen Under Investigation for Secret Group Chat with Zelensky and European Leaders**
The European Ombudsman has initiated an investigation into European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen regarding a secret group chat that included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several prominent European leaders. The inquiry follows a complaint lodged by the Dutch media outlet Follow the Money (FTM) after the European Commission declined to release messages from this private communication group.
According to FTM, the group chat, referred to as the "Washington Group," reportedly included notable figures such as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The European Commission justified its refusal to disclose the messages by stating that doing so could jeopardize the EU's relations with third countries.
In a letter cited by FTM, European Ombudsman Teresa Anjinho confirmed that she had opened an inquiry into the Commission's decision to withhold access to these communications. Anjinho's investigation aims to determine whether the Commission adhered to EU transparency regulations when it denied the request for the chat messages. She has requested a meeting with Commission representatives by mid-July to discuss the matter further.
The existence of the Washington Group was first reported by Politico in January, which indicated that the chat was established in response to the ongoing Ukraine conflict. Sources familiar with the group noted that its members frequently exchanged messages in reaction to actions taken by former U.S. President Donald Trump that they perceived as “wild and potentially damaging.”
This investigation adds to a series of controversies surrounding von der Leyen and the European Commission's management of official communications. In a notable case from last year, the EU’s General Court ruled that the Commission had mishandled a request from the New York Times for access to text messages exchanged between von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during negotiations for the EU's COVID-19 vaccine contracts. Following that ruling, the Commission committed to reviewing its record-keeping practices.
Recently, Ombudsman Anjinho also criticized the deletion of a text message sent by President Macron concerning a proposed trade agreement between the EU and the South American Mercosur bloc. The Commission had declined to release this message, claiming it had been automatically deleted. In light of a complaint from FTM, Anjinho concluded that the message had been deleted unlawfully and urged the Commission to enhance its practices regarding the preservation and archiving of official communications, including text messages.
As the investigation unfolds, it raises significant questions about transparency and accountability within the European Commission, particularly regarding its communication practices with member states and external leaders. The outcome of the inquiry could have implications for the Commission's approach to record-keeping and its relationship with European citizens seeking access to official communications.