One idea floated by S&D and Renew had been to approve Várhelyi in exchange for stripping competencies from his portfolio, such as reproductive rights, animal welfare and vaccines, and giving them to another commissioner.
The far-right Patriots’ chief whip sees that as playing games.
“It is of course unacceptable to see the groups play their games regarding the commissioner hearings,” Patriots chief whip, Danish MEP Anders Vistisen, told POLITICO.
“But it only shows the helplessness of the liberals, socialists and greens. They don’t hold any other real power in the parliament than EPP wants to grant them. The sole responsibility for the wrong direction Europe is heading now lies on the shoulders of EPP — they have a conservative parliament but refuses to use it.”
Last week, a decision on Belgium’s Hadja Lahbib was also held hostage after a poor performance by Jessika Roswall. In the end, the the green light for Lahbib and Roswall was part of a deal between the EPP, the Renew group and the Socialists & Democrats.
Similarly, the delay on Várhelyi means his fate can be used as a bargaining chip among the groups, who still have to sign off on the most high-profile of nominations on Tuesday, when the six executive vice presidents proposed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will be quizzed by MEPs.
