BRUSSELS – Two largest political groups in the European Parliament said they would support Hungarian candidate Olivér Várhelyi to be the Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Politico reports.
In order to receive the green light, Várhelyi needs the support of two-thirds of MEPs in European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET).
Director General for Communication and Spokesperson of the European Parliament Jaume Duch wrote on Twitter that the Coordinators (leaders of the EP groups in AFET) have recommend to approve Commissioner-designate Várhelyi, based on his answers to their additional written questions
Várhelyi’s candidacy faced an unexpected obstacle last week, when AFET refused to support him following his hearing. MEPs expressed concern over his independence from the Government of Viktor Orbán.
“I will neither be bound nor influenced by any statement or position of any Prime Minister of any country or any other representatives of any government”, Várhelyi wrote in answers to members of the committee, Politico reports.
European Parliament will vote for the new European Commission as a whole on 27 November. It is expected to take over from the Commission of Jean Claude Juncker on 1 December.