5 April 2024 – In the middle of the election campaign for this year’s EU parliamentary elections, the EU corruption hunters are launching an investigation into Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Is her own party now calling on her to abandon the election campaign? And nickel prices are approaching the $18,000/MT mark again.
EU corruption hunters are now officially investigating von der Leyen
For Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the news that the European Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating her on suspicion of interference in public office, destruction of text messages, corruption and conflicts of interest may come at an inopportune time. After all, Mrs von der Leyen is in the middle of the EU election campaign.
Billions in damage caused by illegal agreements?
Various media report that the EU corruption hunters have taken over a case that originally originated in Belgium at the instigation of several EU member states and a group of MEPs. The case concerns allegations from the time of the pandemic and a more than questionable procurement of vaccines, in which Mrs von der Leyen is said to have intervened without having a mandate to do so. This involves several billion euros of damage that could have been caused to the European Union.
When will the CDU call on Mrs von der Leyen to renounce her election campaign?
It would be advisable for the German CDU to follow the example of other parties in the German Bundestag. In the event of misdemeanours by their members, they would press for the immediate resignation of the parties involved or at least for them to renounce their election campaigns. In any case, we consider Mrs von der Leyen’s actions to be highly criminal and irresponsible.
Nickel up significantly again
After nickel prices on the LME once again proved to be volatile towards the end of March, they have risen by more than $1,000 per tonne in recent days. Even though inventories on the LME have risen slightly since autumn 2023, they are still around 30% lower than at the end of 2021 and are just 1/3 of what they were in previous years.
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