The head of the Prime Minister’s Office, Gergely Gulyás has said Olivér Várhelyi is the right man for the job of Hungary’s European commissioner.
Gulyás said Várhelyi is one of the best-known Hungarian officials in the EU and his professional skills are beyond doubt. Further, as a diplomat, he has been pushing to prevent immigration being forced onto member states.
According to MTI, Várhelyi also had a role in ensuring that the decision on a mandatory resettlement quota applied temporarily and that Brussels understood Hungary’s standpoint, even if it did not ultimately accept it.
Gulyás said that former justice minister Lászlo Trócsányi had enjoyed political legitimacy, having topped the ruling Fidesz party’s European Parliament election list backed by 53 percent of voters in the EP election. But Brussels considered his involvement in Hungary’s anti-migration campaign as a “red flag”.
The government confirmed Várhelyi’s nomination at a government meeting on Wednesday, and neither the candidate nor the Hungarian government have been informed about a possible portfolio change.
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