The European Parliament’s (EP) hearing of the new College of Commissioners is coming to a close, and so far, MEPs have not been treating Ursula von der Leyen’s new Commissioner-designates with kid gloves—particularly the Hungarian nominee, given the differences between Hungary and Brussels on several fronts.
The Hungarian government’s candidate is Olivér Várhelyi, who has served as Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, has faced scrutiny over the past five years, despite his work on enlargement. His tenure has been marked by controversies that have repeatedly placed him in the crosshairs of Brussels and the left-wing majority in the European Parliament. Tensions particularly escalated with the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, as Várhelyi consistently argued that all candidates should be treated equally. He contended that prioritizing Ukraine’s accession over that of Western Balkan countries such as Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Albania—countries that have been waiting for decades to join—was unfair.
Consequently, it was almost certain that von der Leyen’s second Commission would not assign him the same influential portfolio as the previous one. As expected, the EC President appointed Várhelyi to the position of Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare.
Less Professionalism, More Ideology
As expected, Várhelyi was unable to convince MEPs during the hearing last week and will be required to answer further questions in writing this week. According to press reports, the hearing could take place on Wednesday, as Monday’s session was postponed. During Monday’s meeting, all three right-wing and Eurosceptic groups—Patriots for Europe (PfE), European Conservatives and Reformers (ECR), and Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN)—supported the Hungarian politician’s nomination. The European People’s Party (EPP) also backed him, though they refrained from opposing the progressive forces that rejected Várhelyi.
The progressive forces mentioned include Renew, the Greens, the Left, and the Socialists and Democrats. ‘It would be impossible to support a commissioner from Fidesz being in charge of anything related to preparedness,’ a Renew MEP told POLITICO. Commenting on the issue, PfE’s chief whip, Anders Vistisen, said: ‘It is, of course, unacceptable to see the groups playing their games regarding the commissioner hearings.’ He added: ‘This only demonstrates the helplessness of the liberals, socialists, and greens. They don’t hold any real power in the parliament other than what the EPP is willing to grant them. The sole responsibility for the wrong direction Europe is heading now lies with the EPP—they have a conservative parliament but refuse to use it.’
‘It would be impossible to support a commissioner from Fidesz being in charge of anything related to preparedness’
Political groups opposing Várhelyi’s candidacy are reluctant to vote in his favour due to several issues, including the Hungarian government’s policies on reproductive rights and the handling of the coronavirus pandemic in Hungary—mainly because Hungary was the only EU member state where Russian and Chinese vaccines were used.
However, according to the latest reports, it seems that on Wednesday, the Hungarian Commissioner-designate will be approved by MEPs, but not without a price: his portfolio could be significantly reduced, with responsibilities such as animal welfare and/or food safety potentially being excluded.
However, Várhelyi’s case is not unique. Last week, Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib (Commissioner-designate for Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality) also faced difficulties after a poor performance by Jessika Roswall (Commissioner-designate for Environment). In the end, the green light for both Lahbib and Roswall was part of a deal between the EPP, the Renew and the Socialists & Democrats.
It is possible that Várhelyi’s vote will also become a bargaining chip: if the S&D votes for the Italian Raffaele Fitto, whom they consider far-right, and the EPP supports the Spanish Socialist Teresa Ribera as vice-president, a compromise on Várhelyi could be reached.
‘It has nothing to do with Várhelyi’s suitability, but rather with ideological warfare’
Fidesz MEP Csaba Dömötör summarized the uproar surrounding Várhelyi thus: ‘The EPP and the left-wing political groups in the EP have struck a petty political deal and are not at all concerned with how Olivér Várhelyi would improve European healthcare as Commissioner.’ As he said, the process is undignified; ‘it has nothing to do with Várhelyi’s suitability, but rather with ideological warfare.’ He continued: ‘What we are witnessing is that the Commissioner-designate’s hearing has been incorporated into the tools of political pressure. However, we will not back down on issues related to the war, migration and the migration pact, or family policy,’ Dömötör stressed.
Interestingly, DK MEP Klára Dobrev (Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament) has recently published an open letter to Péter Magyar, Hungarian opposition leader and MEP of the Tisza party in the European Parliament, calling on him not to vote in favour of Várhelyi at the next hearing. According to Dobrev, Magyar has apparently successfully persuaded EPP leader Manfred Weber not to obstruct the Várhelyi nomination, which Dobrev thinks is unacceptable, as in her view the Commissioner-designate is unfit for the role both professionally and morally.
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