Várhelyi’s ‘humiliating’ portfolio reflects Orban’s marginalisation in EU, opposition says

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen nominated Oliver Várhelyi as Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare on Tuesday (17 September), a move seen by the Hungarian opposition as humiliating and a sign of an increasingly marginalised Hungary.

As von der Leyen presented her roster for the new (and her second) European Commission, she announced that the enlargement commissioner under her previous mandate, the Hungarian Olivér Várhelyi, would now take over the health and animal welfare portfolio.

The announcement was greeted with muffled laughter from several places around the press room, Euractiv's partner Telex reported.

This is probably due to the fact that health is largely a member state competence, making it a relatively weak portfolio, although the European Commission launched several initiatives in this area during the COVID-19 pandemic.

If EU lawmakers give the go-ahead following the upcoming MEP hearings, Várhelyi will be responsible for building a "European Health Union" and continuing work on cancer and preventive healthcare, von der Leyen said, announcing the distribution of portfolios.

In Hungary, the opposition used the announcement to take jabs at long-ruling Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his party, Fidesz.

"This is where Orbán and his party have led Hungary. Zero influence, a laughing stock," opposition KD (S&D) MEP Csaba Molnár posted on Facebook.

"The Hungarian commissioner will be given the post that is the least important. Such a post did not even exist before, it is being created specifically for the purpose of humiliating Orbán," he added.

Hungarian Prime minister Viktor Orbán's man in the European Commission will be a "subordinate of the Romanian commissioner" Molnár added, calling the nomination "an indication of Orbán's place in Europe".

The Hungarian government, however, praised Várhelyi's work.

It is thanks to Várhelyi's "success that this (his previous one) is one of the most popular portfolios today. The fact that the area he has been overseeing will be taken over by three commissioners in the new Commission is an indication of his work ethic," Hungarian Minister for EU Affairs, János Bóka wrote on Facebook.

A controversial Commissioner

As a commissioner in the previous von der Leyen Commission, Várhelyi was in charge of the highly coveted Enlargement and Neighbourhood portfolio, which has become even more important since Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the eastern country's candidacy for EU membership.

However, during his time as enlargement commissioner, Várhelyi was embroiled in a series of scandals.

Although the EU treaties require him to remain neutral, reports emerged in 2023 that he was trying to push certain candidate countries towards membership while slowing down others in line with the Hungarian government's views, a suspicion that Orbán has reinforced with his own statements and promises.

After the 7 October attack last year, the Commission refuted his statement that the EU  would suspend aid to Palestine.

Várhelyi, who has yet to face MEPs during hearings before the European Parliament's committee, has also had several run-ins with the European Parliament.

In January 2023, the European Parliament called for an inquiry into Várhelyi's "deliberate efforts to circumvent and undermine the central importance of democratic and rule of law reforms in the EU accession countries".

"Let's just say that he was not the most competent of commissioners and did not always respect the European Parliament", Greens co-chair Bas Eickhout told Euractiv's partner Telex.

Last year, Várhelyi did get into hot water with the European Parliament over a remark he made about MEPs being “idiots” when he thought his microphone was off - an incident that will inevitably come back to haunt him during his hearings.

[Edited by Daniel Eck]