EU foreign ministers back new EC, says Szijjártó in Brussels

The European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council has approved the new team of European commissioners, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Brussels on Monday.

The council’s decision to back the new body means that the attempts of “international pro-migration forces” to prevent the approval of Hungary’s Olivér Várhelyi as commissioner for enlargement and neighbourhood policy have failed, Szijjártó told MTI.

“This decision has ensured that the Hungarian commissioner will fill one of the most important positions in the new European Commission, as the European Union’s enlargement policy is one of the bloc’s most crucial policies and most significant areas when it comes to the future of the EU,” the minister said.

Ursula von der Leyen’s European Commission was originally set to begin its work on Nov. 1 but had to be delayed after the European Parliament rejected the original commissioner candidates of Hungary, Romania and France.

The new commission is now expected to take office on Dec. 1.

The final confirmation hearing for the body in the European Parliament is scheduled for Nov. 27.

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