But the move appeared to backfire as she was mocked and compared to the loveable idiot character Baldrick from the popular Blackadder series starring Rowan Atkinson. Mrs Von der Leyen wrote: “Portugal just submitted its recovery and resilience plan.
“I welcome this important milestone in delivering #NextGenerationEU for the EU to emerge stronger from the crisis.
“We will continue to help member states deliver high quality plans.
“Our aim: have everything ready this summer.”
But her enthusiasm was promptly curbed by Europeans citizens across the bloc, replying in English, Italian and French.
One Twitter user replied: “If you were efficient everything would have been ready now! Instead the EU is still squabbling over vaccinations & short supplies.”
And another: “The time has come for your resignation and TOTAL dismantling of the EU for MANIFEST INCAPACITY.
“You are a sideshow for its own sake and just a huge waste of money.”
Echoing the latter comment, one Italian citizen added: “For the sake of all European citizens, the EU must be dismantled.”
More lamented the slow vaccine rollout at the hands of a Commission’s common strategy for jabs procurement.
One said: “It’s almost the end of April and I am still waiting for the jab!
“Wasting my money and time in the EU and having to read this type of tweet! #incompetenceEU”
Someone else joked: “Don’t worry said Baldrick, I have a plan!”
Others said they were ready to leave the EU.
One wrote: “To get out of Europe, don’t worry, we’re already ready!”
And another: “There’s no #NextGenerationEU if the current generation is not protected by #EuropeanUnion.”
The Commission has come under fire for its sluggish vaccine rollout and its failure to secure enough doses for all member states.
On Thursday, it announced it would not take up an option to buy 100 million additional doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine which is included in the current supply contract the EU has with the company.
A spokesman told a news conference that the deadline to exercise the option had already expired and the EU did not plan to take it up, confirming a Reuters report from Wednesday.
The Commission has ordered 300 million doses from AstraZeneca as part of a contract that included 400 million doses, of which 100 million was optional.
It is also working on legal proceedings against the Anglo-Swedish supplier, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The move would mark a further step in an EU plan to sever ties with the Anglo-Swedish company after it repeatedly cut supplies to the bloc, contributing to major delays in Europe’s vaccine rollout.
The news about the legal case was first reported on Thursday by Politico. An EU official involved in talks with drugmakers confirmed authorities in Brussels were preparing to sue the company.
They said: “EU states have to decide if they (will) participate. It is about fulfillment of deliveries by the end of the second quarter.”
The matter was discussed on Wednesday at a meeting with EU diplomats, where most EU states supported the legal action, two diplomats told Reuters.
However its largest, Germany and France, asked for more time to think about the possible move, the diplomats said.
