Hearing of Commissioner-designate for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi – MEPs request additional answers

The Hungarian candidate for the Neighbourhood and Enlargement portfolio, Olivér Várhelyi, did not receive the green light from political group coordinators during the evaluation meeting that followed today’s hearing in the Foreign Affairs Committee. A written procedure has been initiated to remove and clarify pending issues related to his portfolio.

Renew Europe AFET Vice-Coordinator, Ilhan Kyuchyuk (Movement for Rights and Freedoms, Bulgaria), said:

"Oliver Várhelyiis a career diplomat, who most recently served as Hungary's EU ambassador in Brussels, but he also worked as an EU civil servant in the European Commission - before Orban came to power. During the hearing he said he would take no instruction from any government or institutions and he would defend the EU position by acting in a completely independent way.

I am confident that the launch of the written procedure will bring the expected answers for the major political groups to reach the necessary majority in AFET Committee to endorse Commissioner-designate for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi."

ENDS