Controversial Hungarian Gets EU Health Portfolio Nomination

European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen has appointed Olivér Várhelyi as commissioner for health and animal welfare for the next 5 years. Whether he takes the portfolio depends on the European Parliament. There, committees are due to hold extensive hearings before a parliamentary vote on the entire commission. Várhelyi was chosen as a European commissioner from Hungary in 2019 when the first choice of Hungary’s prime minister was rejected by this mechanism. 

The health and animal welfare portfolio is a reincarnation of its health and food safety predecessor. It will continue to be responsible for food safety, but in addition to animal welfare, the new health commissioner will be in charge of preventing and reducing food waste, as well as improving the “sustainability, safety, and affordability of food production across the food chain.”

Asked to comment for Medscape Medical News, Daniel Hegedüs, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States who is focused on central Europe, said: “He has no health experience, and this will be exploited by the committees. The main takeaway is that von der Leyen didn’t step up and ask [Hungarian Prime Minister] Viktor Orbán to name someone else, despite the controversies Várhelyi is associated with. Von der Leyen expects the parliament will make that step.” 

László Andor was Hungary’s European commissioner from 2010 until 2014 and is now secretary general at the Foundation for European Progressive Studies. He told Medscape Medical News that Várhelyi is unlikely to be confirmed as EU health commissioner.

“I think most people do not have high hopes that Várhelyi would successfully navigate through the parliament hearings,” he said. “Partly due to the lack of a genuine connection with the portfolio but also because of his previous record with parliamentarians. If you ask Hungary watchers, 99% would suggest perhaps someone else will be the successful candidate.”

Várhelyi proved a controversial figure in his last role as commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement. In January 2023, the EU Parliament asked for an “independent and impartial investigation” to determine if Várhelyi had breached commission rules after apparently playing down rule-of-law concerns relating to Serbia and for supporting Serbian politician Milorad Dodik’s bid to unite the predominantly Serbian part of Bosnia and Herzegovina with Serbia. Várhelyi called the accusations “fake news.” Then, in a difficult debate the following month in parliament, he labeled members of the European Parliament as “idiots.” He later apologized for the remark and claimed it was misunderstood.

In the wake of the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023, Várhelyi unilaterally announced that “all payments” to the Palestinian authorities would be immediately stopped by the EU. The EC clarified that Várhelyi acted without the approval of its president. 

Last May, meanwhile, Várhelyi expressed his “sincere regret” after the prime minister of Georgia accused an unnamed commissioner of blackmail over that country’s foreign agents law. In the same month, Várhelyi also made an official trip to Israel to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, days after the International Criminal Court announced arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

“It’s not a secret that Várhelyi has had conflicts,” Andor said. “He has had mixed reactions from stakeholders in the Western Balkans certainly. This is a surprise move from that point of view. Very few people would consider the health and animal welfare brief particularly appropriate.”

Várhelyi said it was an “immense honor to be nominated” and he was “looking forward to continue our common work with President von der Leyen.” 

The European parliamentary hearings may not end until mid-November. The new EU health commissioner will work under the Executive Vice President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, Teresa Ribera, as well as under the Executive Vice President for People Skills and Preparedness, Roxana Mînzatu.

Whether Várhelyi is confirmed or replaced by a fellow Hungarian nominee may not make much difference to EU health policy, Hegedüs said. Either way, they are unlikely to secure new competencies for the EU in health.

“Any Hungarian commissioner will have questionable political independence from the Hungarian government,” he said. “So it is difficult to expect they will be a federalist pioneer.

“That said, I don’t think whether he is rejected or not will have an influence over the [European] Health Union. The Hungarian government doesn’t have a distinctive policy position [there]. They are not obstructing health cooperation.

“Practically, the name of the game for Ursula von der Leyen was to find the portfolio where the Hungarians can do the least harm. Obviously on the one hand, you need either a very big portfolio or something with lower workload and profile. Von der Leyen went with the safe option, relying on the idea that there won’t be a pandemic and that she can safely hand this over. 

“She also might expect the European Parliament will reject the Hungarian candidate due to the controversy that marked his first period as commissioner. What we have heard is that his management style is very sharp and conflict-led. He is not a beloved member of the Commission.”

Andor also believes that new EU health initiatives should not be expected under a Hungarian commissioner.

“It’s not obvious that Várhelyi would be a champion of a European Health Union,” he said. “Orbán would definitely want health to be a national competency. Hungary doesn’t even have a ministry for health — they abolished it in 2010. Now health is covered by the Interior Ministry. 

“The Hungarians got this portfolio because, without expertise and deeper embedded connections, they have to rely on the administration of the director general to run the portfolio. But you would expect more direct professional experience. If people believe something should be solved by the EU, like health, then the officials designated, the commissioner, should be fit for purpose.”

Asked about the long-term prospects for EU health funding, a spokesperson for the EC said: “The EU4Health budget is the EU’s largest and most ambitious financial package ever in the area of health. We are currently focusing on doing everything possible to lay the groundwork for better long-term public health and health system resilience across the European Union. We cannot speculate at this stage on funding that will be proposed for health in the post-2027 period.”