European Parliament rejected nominee for European Commissioner from Orbán
Photo: Olivér Várhelyi (Getty Images)
Olivér Várhelyi, nominated by Hungary for the position of EU Commissioner for health and animal welfare, failed to gain immediate approval from Members of the European Parliament. He became the only one of 16 commissioners not to receive swift approval, Politico reports.
Committee coordinators decided to offer Olivér Várhelyi a second round of written questions after three and a half hours of questioning, during which he defended himself against inquiries regarding women's rights, competitiveness, animal protection, and his connections with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
"We note that the answers given by Mr. Várhelyi did not meet Renew Europe’s expectations and so we conclude that we cannot support his nomination at this stage," said Renew's press release following the meeting.
The coordinator in the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee (ENVI), Greens MEP Sara Matthieu, added in the press release: "Commissioner-designate Olivér Várhelyi did not convince us."
Among the 16 appointed commissioners who underwent hearings this week, Várhelyi is the only one who did not pass.
Only the far-right groups and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) voted in favor of the Hungarian candidate, according to two parliamentary officials. The Greens, Renew, and the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) wanted Várhelyi to go through a second hearing, while the European People's Party (EPP) insisted on a second round of written questions, which was the option that ultimately prevailed.
Doubtful past
Várhelyi, who served in the European Commission overseeing neighborhood and enlargement issues, must respond to questions from Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) by Monday. After this, the coordinators will conduct a second evaluation meeting, after which they will need to secure a two-thirds majority. If they cannot either reject or approve him, the vote will be moved to all committees, where Várhelyi will need a simple majority.
Várhelyi encountered problems from the start: many MEPs stated that he had little chance of gathering the necessary two-thirds majority to pass.
The Hungarian has faced criticism due to his loyalty to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and numerous clashes with MEPs — he called them "idiots" in an incident last year. Legislators also pointed to his lack of experience in health policy.
During the hearings, Várhelyi faced numerous critical questions about his stance on women's rights and abortion. He repeatedly stated that he was an "ally" of women, but that abortion was outside the EU's competencies.
"I am deeply worried to hear a potential health commissioner say that abortion is not a medical question," said MEP Sara Matthieu from the Green party. "He appears unaware or unbothered that countless women are dying for being denied access to reproductive and sexual health services."
Just before the hearings, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met with the head of the Socialist and Democratic Party, Iratxe García, the leader of the center-right European People's Party (EPP), Manfred Weber, and the head of Renew Europe, Valérie Hayer, as confirmed by an EU official.
The official stated that the meetings were held to summarize the current hearings.
Renew also proposed the idea of stripping Várhelyi of his powers as Commissioner for Health. "Várhelyi going just through with competences over vaccines or reproductive rights won’t be supported by Renew," said a senior Renew official.
According to an MEP and parliamentary assistant present at the meeting, this idea was not discussed during the meeting.
MEPs will need to demand a change in his mandate in the evaluation letter they will send to von der Leyen after assessing Varhelyi's responses to additional questions and making the final decision on his candidacy.
New composition of the European Commission
This summer, the European Parliament elections were held, following which the leadership of key European institutions was updated. In particular, Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected as President of the European Commission for a second term.
In September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the new composition of the European Commission, consisting of 27 members — one from each EU member state.
Hearings for the proposed European commissioners will take place from November 4 to 12. The new European Commission is likely to begin working no earlier than December. However, if the European Parliament rejects several commissioner candidates, this timeline could be pushed back to January.
