Von der Leyen to request new commissioner designates from Hungary, Romania – UPDATE

President-elect of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will ask Hungary and Romania to name new commissioner designates but she is currently waiting for an official letter from David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament, about the decision of the EP legal committee, Von der Leyen’s spokesman said on Monday.

The EC has already held preliminary talks with the governments of Hungary and Romania and at the next phase of talks, their governments will be asked to name new commissioner designates, the spokeman said.

In line with EU rules, the EP president must first officially inform von der Leyen about the legal committee’s decision.

The legal committee on Monday confirmed its position that there is a conflict of interest between the post of commissioner to which László Trócsaányi, Hungary’s former justice minister, has been designated and the activities of a law firm associated with him.

Read more HERE: EP committee sees conflict of interest concerning Trócsányi’s EC candidacy

UPDATE

Orbán cabinet to propose diplomat Olivér Várhelyi as new commissioner – Reuters

According to Reuters news agency, Hungarian government is to propose diplomat Olivér Várhelyi as its commissioner for next 5 years after the European Parliament blocked the first candidate chosen by PM Orbán, an EU official said to Reuters.

Várhelyi worked in the Commission as a bureaucrat previously, and recently in Hungary’s diplomatic mission to the EU.

Source: mti