Postponement of EU Hearing for Hungary’s Oliver Varhelyi Sparks Speculation

The European Parliament has delayed its decision on approving Hungary's Oliver Varhelyi as the EU commissioner for health and animal welfare. Varhelyi was nominated by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. It is unclear why the decision is postponed, amid Hungary's controversial position in the EU.

The European Parliament has delayed its decision concerning Hungary's Oliver Varhelyi, who was nominated for the role of EU commissioner for health and animal welfare. This decision was announced by a spokesperson on Monday, though no specific reasons for the postponement were provided.

Varhelyi, currently serving as the EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, was among the candidates whose hearings were expected to be contentious. All candidates face questioning by European Parliament lawmakers, who seek to extract commitments before approving nominations.

Hungary has been increasingly isolated within the EU, particularly due to Prime Minister Viktor Orban's relationships with Russia and his opposition to military aid to Ukraine. This was further exacerbated by Orban's surprise visits to Moscow and Kyiv in July, actions taken without notifying the EU or NATO.

(With inputs from agencies.)