Von der Leyen okays Hungaryʼs candidate for commissioner

Interview

Olaf Kosinsky / Wikipedia

European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen has approved Thierry Breton and Olivér Várhelyi as the nominees for her administration from France and Hungary, respectively, after previous candidates were vetoed by European lawmakers, euronews.com reported Tuesday.

EC President-elect Ursula von der Leyen (photo: Olaf Kosinsky / Wikipedia)

The French businessman and Hungarian diplomat must still be approved by MEPs, while the Romanian nomination remains vacant because of a change of government in Bucharest, noted the report.

Hungary proposed Várhelyi as its commissioner after Prime Minister Viktor Orbánʼs first choice, former justice minister László Trócsányi, was vetoed. Trócsányi was a key figure behind Hungarian laws that Brussels sees as undermining the rule of law in Hungary.

The Romanian nomination process has been delayed after its government was toppled by a vote of no-confidence on October 10. Bucharest had been about to propose a replacement for Rovana Plumb, who was quickly rejected by MEPs.

A spokeswoman for the EUʼs executive body said at a press briefing on Tuesday that von der Leyen had “confirmed the abilities and competencies” of Várhelyi and Breton after formal interviews on Monday. She added that the president-elect had then informed the Council of her decision, clearing the way for the approval process by the European Parliament.

The spokeswoman did not specify the portfolio Várhelyi could take over (previously, Trócsányi had been lined up to assume the EU neighborhood policy and enlargement portfolio).

The Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) of the European Parliament earlier rejected Trócsányi on the grounds that there were conflicts of interest between his earlier post as justice minister and the activities of legal firm Nagy és Trócsányi, state news wire MTI recalled. MEPs had also cited concerns about Trócsányiʼs connections to Russia in rejecting the Hungarian nominee.

Hungary Account Deficit at EUR 561 mln in Q4 Debt

Hungary Account Deficit at EUR 561 mln in Q4

Moldovan Pensions to be Increased as of April 1 World

Moldovan Pensions to be Increased as of April 1

Schoenherr Names Miklós Klenanc as Head of Local M&A Practic... Appointments

Schoenherr Names Miklós Klenanc as Head of Local M&A Practic...

Hungarian Wine Marketing Agency to Host Summit Drinks

Hungarian Wine Marketing Agency to Host Summit

SUPPORT THE BUDAPEST BUSINESS JOURNAL

Producing journalism that is worthy of the name is a costly business. For 27 years, the publishers, editors and reporters of the Budapest Business Journal have striven to bring you business news that works, information that you can trust, that is factual, accurate and presented without fear or favor.
Newspaper organizations across the globe have struggled to find a business model that allows them to continue to excel, without compromising their ability to perform. Most recently, some have experimented with the idea of involving their most important stakeholders, their readers.
We would like to offer that same opportunity to our readers. We would like to invite you to help us deliver the quality business journalism you require. Hit our Support the BBJ button and you can choose the how much and how often you send us your contributions.