European Parliament may thwart appointment of Hungary's Trócsányi

The European Parliament's legal department found that the material interests of both the Romanian and the Hungarian candidates are incompatible with their future posts in the new European Commission. It asked President-elect Ursula von der Leyen to "take the necessary steps", Eurológus has learned. The decision is not official yet, but in practice it could mean that Hungary will need to find a new candidate.

Sergey Lagodonsky, one of the Vice-Presidents of the EP's Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) and member of the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, told the portal that "the hearings scheduled for next week for the Hungarian and Romanian candidates will be postponed." 

This does not necessarily mean that László Trócsányi ('Neighbourhood and Enlargement' portfolio) and Rovana Plumb ('Transport' portfolio) will have to say goodbye to their candidacy, as JURI is expected to hold a hearing for both of them, added Lagodonsky.

"Trócsányi's incompatibiiity was established in relation to its relationshop with his law firm," disclosed French MEP Manon Aubry (La France Insoumise) after the meeting. The Romanian candidate's post is thought to be risk due to her concealed debts.

Bruxinfo reported on Wednesday that JURI asked Trócsányi and  Plumb to answer questions regarding their financial interests at a meeting today. With a go-ahead by the committee, both could have proceeded to a parliamentary committee hearing, i.e. Trócsányi's hearing by the EP's foreign affairs committee could have taken place on 1 October. There will certainly be a delay now, though.

Sources linked to Hungary's ruling Fidesz party this is just smoke and mirrors, for - to their knowledge - Trócsányi had already sold his interests in the law firm in question. Politico also recalls a previous discussion with Trócsányi, in which he had ensured the Brussels-based paper that the one-third ownership he held in the law firm 'Nagy és Trócsányi'  established in 1991 is no longer his.  

Cover photo by MTI/Szilárd Koszicsák 

This article is part of the work programme titled "The impacts of EU cohesion policy in Hungary - Present and Future" which is carried out by Net Média Zrt., the publisher of Portfolio.hu, between 1st April 2019 and 31st March 2020 with European Union financing. The views in this article solely reflect the opinions of the author. The European Commission as the funding entity does not take any responsibility for the use of information presented in this article.