Following the European Parliament’s vote on 18 July to approve Ursula von der Leyen’s second term as President of the European Commission, each Member State will propose a Commissioner for the new Commission, which will take office in November. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced on Monday on X that he will nominate the current Hungarian Commissioner, Olivier Várhelyi.
‘During the past five years, Commissioner Várhelyi has proven that the EU can make a difference as a positive force in its neighbourhood and beyond. He will do an excellent job in the upcoming Commission!’ Orbán wrote.
Following my recent 📞 consultation with Commission President Ursula @vonderleyen, my nominee for the @EU_Commission is once again @OliverVarhelyi. During the past five years Commissioner Várhelyi has proved that the EU can make a difference as a positive force in its…
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) July 29, 2024
Olivér Várhelyi also accepted the nomination in a post on X. ‘It is an immense honour to be nominated and to be requested by the Prime Minister to continue to serve as the Hungarian member of the European Commission,’ he wrote. He added: ‘Looking forward to continuing our common work with President von der Leyen.’
Immense honour to be nominated and to be requested by the Prime Minister to continue to serve as the Hungarian member of the European Commission.
— Oliver Varhelyi (@OliverVarhelyi) July 29, 2024
Looking forward to continue our common work with President von der Leyen.@vonderleyen @EU_Commission #Hungary https://t.co/nziQVTi5Lt
After the President of the European Commission, in consultation with the European Council, decides on the Commissioners, the European Parliament’s relevant committees will hold special hearings to determine whether the Commissioner-designate is suitable for the post.
Várhelyi’s task will not be easy,
as there have been a lot of conflicts between the European Parliament and him over the past five years. Additionally, it is likely that the European Parliament will attempt to block the appointment due to its hostile stance towards Hungary, as was seen five years ago with former justice minister and ex-French ambassador László Trócsányi.
Between 2019 and 2024, Várhelyi held the position of Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement. His responsibilities included liaising with countries wishing to join the European Union and promoting accession negotiations with nations such as the Western Balkans, Moldova, Georgia, and Ukraine. Hungary has consistently argued that all candidates should be treated equally, and therefore it is unfair to prioritise Ukraine’s accession over that of Western Balkan countries like Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Albania, which have been waiting for decades to join.
The war in Ukraine has particularly increased the significance of the Enlargement Commissioner’s position, leading to a likely intense competition for the post. It is certain that pro-war factions will do everything possible to prevent Várhelyi from filling the role. In May, liberal POLITICO reported that some member states are hesitant to grant such an important position to Hungary due to its stance on Ukraine’s EU accession.
‘After the disaster this time around with Várhelyi and the way Orbán is challenging [Commission President Ursula] von der Leyen, there is no way she will hand over anything important to someone close to him,’ one diplomat said at the time.
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