"I'm still burning for Europe"

In the European Parliament, Tilly Metz has also made a name for herself outside of her group in recent years, particularly when it comes to her fight for animal welfare. In 2018, she succeeded the then MEP Claude Turmes in the European Parliament after he moved to the government following the death of Camille Gira. In her political career, Metz has also been mayor of Weiler-la-Tour, a municipal councillor in the capital and party spokesperson.

Lëtzebuerger Journal: Together with four other MEPs, you took EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to the European Court of Justice because she refused to disclose the contracts with the manufacturers of Covid vaccines, and even won at first instance. Why was this lawsuit so important to you?

Tilly Metz: Public money was spent here, so the public also has a right to transparency. It was also about trust, not only in the Covid vaccines, but also in the corresponding procedures. We won at first instance …

We know that, but what will happen now?

As expected, the EU Commission has appealed. Of course, we are also staying on the ball. It costs money, but it is about public interest and is also important for the future.

If you are successful in court: What specific consequences would the judgement have for the way the Commission works and for future contract negotiations with large corporations?

The lesson we need to learn from this is that we need transparency, especially when it comes to contracts, and not just for MEPs, but for the general public. Otherwise, people will lose confidence in the EU institutions.