MEPs from four political groups asked von der Leyen to force Hungarian Commissioner Várhelyi to resign, following allegations of spying by Hungary’s foreign intelligence service.
Thirty-five MEPs asked European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to push Hungary's European Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi to resign, Euronews has learned.
The letter dated Thursday and seen by Euronews was signed by MEPs from four political groups: S&D, Renew, Greens/EFA and The Left.
Várhelyi, in charge of the health and animal welfare portfolio, came to the spotlight after a joint investigation by several European outlets claimed that Hungary's foreign intelligence service allegedly used Hungary's permanent representation in Brussels between 2012 and 2018 as a platform to spy on EU institutions and recruit their officials.
These operations were allegedly partly carried out while Várhelyi was Hungary’s ambassador to the EU in Brussels between 2015 and 2019.
According to the European Commission’s chief spokesperson, von der Leyen had a conversation over the allegations with Várhelyi, who said he was not aware of any recruitment attempts while he was in charge of the mission.
The MEPs who signed the letter consider that if the revelations were found to be true, trust in Commissioner Várhelyi would be seriously undermined.
They asked von der Leyen to act in accordance with Article 17 of the Treaty on the European Union, which enables the Commission president to force a commissioner’s resignation.
The MEPs’ request echoed a call from more than 60 academics from across the EU, who are part of the Good Lobby professors' network.
According to the group, the alleged activities around Várhelyi would appear fundamentally incompatible with the principle of independence required of all Commissioners, who must act solely in the general interest of the EU and not in the interest of their member states.
The European Parliament does not have the power to require the resignation of a single Commissioner, as it can only trigger a no-confidence vote against the entire European Commission, which has been attempted three times in the past months.
But according to Parliament’s sources, MEPs could approve a resolution calling for the Commissioner’s resignation.