After the Hearing of the Hungarian Commissioner Candidate Tibor Navracsics, the European Parliament Committee on Culture and Education rejected him, for the nominated portfolio – Education, Culture, Youth and Citizenship – while confirming him, as a Commissioner. This move is a result of controversial policies in Hungary with regard to civil society, media freedom and respect of Fundamental Rights and the rule of law. The inevitable reshuffle of the Commission provides for a next round of negotiations of portfolios and gives President-Elect Juncker another opportunity to act in the interests of European security by reversing his decision to move pharmaceutical and medical devices back to the directorate for health.
As a former justice minister and deputy prime-minister in the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Navracsics was severely criticized during his hearing – which took place on 2nd October – for policies on education, media, judiciary and minority rights over which Budapest has clashed with the EU. The Commissioner candidate defended his policy in Hungary and tried to differentiate himself from the current Hungarian government.
The persecution of Hungarian civil society organisations was one of the most worrying issue for MEPs and while the candidates repeatedly said that he is open for co-operation with NGOs, in light of the recent developments in Hungary (including investigation in the offices of several Hungarian NGOs with the presence of the police and the suspension of tax number of NGOs by the authorities because of “non-cooperation) his answers remained unconvincing for MEPs.
As European Alternatives (EA) [European Alternatives is a transnational civil society organisation and citizens movement promoting democracy, equality and culture beyond the nation state. The nation state is no longer the appropriate political form in which to define democratic decision-making and active citizenship, equality between people, the respect and extension of rights. The nation state is not the appropriate political form to promote a responsible politics for the environment, ensure political control over the economy and an equitable distribution of wealth, or promote peace between people.]] reported, [further written questions were sent by many members of the European parliament which brought up concerns raised by NGOs in the run up to the vote:
- Would Navracsics distance himself from legislation in Hungary aimed at curbing the freedom of the media?
- Would Navracsics criticise the reforms in Hungarian education which many claim are opposed to EU freedom of movement rules and principles?
- Would he acknowledge that the government of Orbán is moving away from liberal principles to an authoritarian model?
Ultimately Navracsics could not distance himself from the decisions he took as a Minister, and so he was rejected for a role that is very close to European values of democracy. MEPs in the culture committee finally voted 15 to 10 with 2 abstention to confirm him as a commissioner, but 14 to 12 with 1 abstention to reject him for the particular portfolio he was nominated for – education, culture, youth and citizenship. He may, however, get a different posting or keep only part of his portfolio, depending on a bigger deal among political groups.
It is important that in the reshuffle that Jean Claude Juncker will have come up with an acceptable Commission for the European Parliament keeping these reasons in mind.
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Ahead of a reshuffle – a wrong decision to be fixed
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Following the rejection of Navracsics, the reshuffle of the Juncker Commission is now inevitable. The question still remains if it will be used as an opportunity to fix other decisions that have come under heavy critics. In addition to the nomination of the Hungarian Commissioner, another worrying issue for the European public health community has been the decision of European Commission President Elect Jean-Claude Juncker to move the competence for medicinal products and health technologies from the Commissioner in charge of Health to the Commissioner in charge of Internal Market and Industry within the new Commission.
The shift of EU pharmaceutical policy will put Europe’s security at risk and is in contradiction with how pharmaceutical policy is governed in all 28 EU Member States. With the responsibility for pharmaceutical and medical devices policies removed out of Commissioner designate for Health Dr Vytenis Andriukaitis’ portfolio, the latter runs the risk of not being able to fulfil his mandate to ensure pandemic preparedness, to coordinate health policies and their outcomes, all through the spectrum of care services and goods. This could affect the well-being of more than 500 million people living in Europe.
Will that ill-advised decision be reversed?
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(source of the photo © The Budapest Beacon)
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