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Michele Rivasi, the Green Party MEP who pushed for the publication of text messages between the President of the European Commission and the CEO of Pfizer, Passed away On Wednesday, November 29th At the age of 70 from Cardiac muscles attacksWhile heading to the European Parliament in Brussels.

Rivasi has been a Green Party MEP since 2009, and has been notably involved in the fight against the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement and opposition to the use of pesticides, including glyphosate.

In the name of transparency, he devoted himself to investigating the so-called “SMS case”, which concerned suspicious text messages exchanged between the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the CEO of Pfizer. Albert BourlaRegarding negotiating a contract for 1.8 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines.

“Michelle Rivasi is always ready to defend the principles she loved, and has dedicated her life to protecting biodiversity and health, as well as to fighting for the transparency of our institutions, for the benefit of European citizens,” a press release said.

She was also known for her controversial stance on vaccines. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the European Parliament has criticized the implementation of the “Covid-19 certificate” and the mandatory vaccination of healthcare workers in France.

On X (formerly Twitter), European Parliament President Roberta Mezzola said she was “saddened” by the “sudden death” of Rivasi, “an experienced, deeply convinced, dedicated and hardworking MEP.”

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of our colleague Michelle Rivasi. […] “Her remarkable career, passionate political battles and compassion left their mark on everyone who had the opportunity to know her,” said Terry Reintke and Philip Lamberts, on behalf of Green Group/EFA.

“Today, our group and the European Parliament lose a political figure who, throughout her career, tried above all to defend the public interest,” the statement said.

Before being elected to the European Parliament, Rivasi was a Member of Parliament for the Drôme department in south-eastern France from 1997 to 2002. She also founded the Committee for Independent Research and Information on Radioactivity (CRIIRAD) after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in April 1986.