Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, has slammed European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen for ditching Oliver Varhelyi as the commissioner for EU enlargement, saying her decision was part of "the hypocrisy of Brussels" regarding enlargement policy.
Western Balkan states have been waiting 14.5 years for EU membership, "which goes to show how the majority in the bloc is against enlargement," Peter Szijjarto told a joint press conference held with Serbia's economy minister in Budapest on Wednesday.
He insisted that EU officials' public pro-enlargement statements were at odds with what they said behind closed doors.
Minister Szijjártó also insisted that countries that were most advanced in the accession process wanted Varhelyi to stay on in his current role.
The minister said Hungary would do everything it could "to ensure that Western Balkan countries can join the European Union as soon as possible".
Meanwhile, he said each member state had the right to appoint a commissioner and decide whom to nominate. "So I'll start out from the assumption that the European Parliament's fantastically committed democrats won't deny this sovereign right..." he said.