European Commission accused of "maladministration" for deleting text messages
European Ombudsman Teresa Anjinho recently criticized the European Commission over its communications management policy. The reason for the criticism is the practice of deleting text messages (SMS) exchanged between political leaders on official mobile phones. According to the Ombudsman, this action represents a clear case of "maladministration."
The case originated after a complaint from a journalist who requested access to messages sent between Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron. The messages in question were related to negotiations over an important agreement. However, access was denied because authorities stated that the messages no longer existed.
Teresa Anjinho argues that text messages dealing with professional matters should be treated as public documents. For the Ombudsman, transparency is a fundamental pillar of European Union institutions. Deleting these communications hinders the work of the press and prevents citizens from following the decisions made by their leaders.
The European Commission has argued that text messages are, by nature, ephemeral and do not contain information that needs to be archived. However, the Ombudsman's inquiry concluded that this policy is not sufficient to guarantee the right of access to information, especially on topics of great public interest.
This incident raises important questions about the need to modernize transparency rules in the digital age. It is now expected that the European Commission will review its internal procedures to avoid further conflicts in the future. The final decision could change how European leaders communicate and record their official conversations.