Olivér Várhelyi
Várhelyi in 2023
European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement
Assumed office
1 December 2019
PresidentUrsula von der Leyen
Preceded byJohannes Hahn
Personal details
Born (1972-03-22) 22 March 1972
Szeged, Hungary
Political partyIndependent
Fidesz (Affiliated)
Other political
affiliations		European People's Party
Children3
EducationAalborg University
University of Szeged

Olivér Várhelyi (born 22 March 1972) is a Hungarian lawyer and diplomat, and European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement from Hungary in the von der Leyen Commission after the rejection of László Trócsányi by the European Parliament.

Biography

Studies

Várhelyi obtained a Master of European Legal Studies at Aalborg University, Denmark, in 1994, and a Law degree at the University of Szeged, in 1996. In 2005 he passed the bar exam.[1]

Career

Várhelyi started his career in the Hungarian public administration in 1996 at the Ministry for Industry and Trade. He then moved to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, where he was tasked with alignment with the EU acquis. From 1998 to 2001 he was chief of cabinet of the head of the legal unit of the ministry. He then moved to Brussels at the Hungarian mission to the EU, as legal counselor and then head of legal service until 2006, after Hungary's EU accession.[2]

For two years Várhelyi then served as head of the EU law department at the Hungarian Ministry of Justice. From 2008 to 2011 he briefly served as head of unit at the European Commission, in charge of industrial property rights at the Directorate General Internal Market and Services.[2]

He then moved back to the Hungarian foreign service, service from 2011 onward as deputy head and then from 2015 head of the Permanent Representation in Brussels, with the rank of ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary.[1] In his role as Ambassador to the EU, he was considered highly loyal to Orbán, despite having no formal party affiliation.[3] Despite being deemed highly intelligent and extremely knowledgeable, his style has been described as "incredibly rude", with "an abrasive leadership style that has included screaming, yelling and swearing at staffers", as well as adopting a more combative approach in ambassadors' meetings than other permanent representatives.[4]

Várhelyi greeting Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, 16 September 2022

In 2019 Várhelyi was appointed by Hungary's PM Viktor Orbán to the post of European Commissioner from Hungary to the von der Leyen Commission, after the European Parliament had rejected his first appointee, László Trócsányi. He was entrusted with the portfolio of European Neighbourhood and Enlargement. [3][2] His appointment was greeted by long-standing Orbán allies, including Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić and Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik.[4] It was decried by several observers and enlargement experts, among other reasons for him not upholding criteria on democracy and the rule of law with regards to possible EU accessions.[5][6] In his Parliamentary hearing, Várhelyi did not gather two thirds of votes, thus being subject to an additional round of written questions from MEPs.[7]

In his asset declaration, Várhelyi declared ownership of a 5035 m2 farm in Szentendre, a 160 m2 family house in Szeged with a 586 m2 garden, and a 57 m2 apartment in Budapest. He also declared ownership of a BMW from 1992 and a Lexus RX from 2018.[8]

Varhelyi generated controversy on 15 February 2023 for calling fellow MEPs "idiots" during a hearing on the western Balkans.[9] Due to this incident, other MEP's demanded Varhelyi's resignation.[10]

He generated controversy again on 9 October 2023 by announcing via social media that all EU aid to Palestinians had been frozen. Four hours later his colleague Commissioner Janez Lenarcic made a contradictory announcement via social media stating that "EU humanitarian aid to #Palestinians in need will continue as long as needed."[11]

References

  1. 1 2 "Olivér VÁRHELYI" (PDF). 5 October 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 "Olivér Várhelyi" (PDF). www.commissioners.ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Hungary names EU ambassador as new Commission nominee". POLITICO. 1 October 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Hungary's 'incredibly rude' Commission pick". POLITICO. 3 October 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  5. ↑ "BiEPAG questions for the EU Commissioner-designate in charge of Enlargement - Olivér Várhelyi". BiEPAG. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  6. ↑ "The Wrong Man in the Wrong Place | Heinrich Böll Stiftung | Brussels office - European Union". eu.boell.org. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  7. ↑ "Hungarian Commission candidate blocked by Parliament committee". POLITICO. 14 November 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  8. ↑ "CODE OF CONDUCT FOR MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION ANNEX 1 - DECLARATION OF INTERESTS | Olivér Várhelyi" (PDF). 4 November 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  9. ↑ Liboreiro, Jorge (15 February 2023). "Outrage as Enlargement Commissioner is caught calling MEPs 'idiots'". Euronews.
  10. ↑ "EU commissioner called MEPs 'idiots.' Now they want him fired". POLITICO. 15 February 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  11. ↑ O'Carroll, Lisa (9 October 2023). "EU freeze of Palestinian funds sparks diplomatic row". The Guardian.

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