Orbán’s Commissioner gets his wings clipped

At his hearing in the European Parliament last Wednesday Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner-designate for Health and Animal Welfare, failed to assuage fears among from Renew Europe MEPs on a number of elements in his portfolio.

As part of the deal now reached on the composition of the von der Leyen-II Commission, Mr. Várhelyi’s competences as Commissioner will be significantly reduced.

Crisis preparedness and crisis management, including oversight of the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), will be transferred to Commissioner Lahbib. As Commissioner for Equality, she will also be in charge of safeguarding sexual and reproductive health rights.

The Renew Europe Group worked hard to keep power over women's rights and core European values out of the hands of the Hungarian Commissioner, MEPs explain:

Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu (Uniunea Salvați România, Romania) said:

"As Europeans, we must strive for a truly robust European Health Union. Every European, regardless of where they live, is entitled to high-quality healthcare. This is non-negotiable, especially for our children and those fighting severe illnesses. We expect the Health Commissioner to adhere rigorously to these principles and uphold the core values of Europe with unwavering commitment. Anything less is unacceptable. Now is the time to act—the people of Europe are counting on us to deliver.”

Stine Bosse (Moderaterne, Denmark) added:

"It's our job as members of the European Parliament to ensure that our Commissioners have the right expertise, but importantly also that they can represent Europe and all Europeans in terms of their values. Commissioner-designate Várhelyi failed this test. My position is clear: women's sexual and reproductive rights are basic human rights. I want to make sure that our daughters and granddaughters will have these rights as well."