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Bucharest and Budapest double down on their commissioner candidates

Viorica Dăncilă says Rovana Plumb has her ‘unconditional support.’

The Romanian and Hungarian governments reiterated their support for their candidates for European commissioner, after MEPs on Thursday voted against the nomination of Rovana Plumb and László Trócsányi over conflict of interest concerns.

Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă offered her “unconditional support” to Romania’s nominee for transport commissioner.

In a Facebook post, Dăncilă wrote that the vote in the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) “does not make me have less confidence or appreciation for Rovana [Plumb]. On the contrary. Rovana still has my unconditional support.”

She added that Plumb “unlike others, would always prioritize the European interests and policies that contribute to the consolidation of the European project.”

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Hungary’s candidate for neighborhood and enlargement commissioner, László Trócsányi, was also rejected by the committee.

On Sunday Zoltán Kovács, spokeperson for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, called the rejection an “witch-hunt,” and blamed “internationalist” pro-migration forces. He confirmed Trócsányi’s candidature enjoys the government’s support in an interview with state-owned radio.

The unprecedented move by the Legal Affairs Committee means the pair cannot proceed to confirmation hearings that begin next week for von der Leyen’s Commission, which is due to take office on November 1.

Their rejection does not mean new candidates will automatically be put forward however. The committee could suggest ways to clear their conflict of interests concerns.

In a letter dated Thursday and seen by POLITICO, European Parliament President David Sassoli asked whether the Legal Affairs Committee will “draw up recommendations aimed at resolving an actual or potential conflict of interest or, as a last resort, will conclude that Commissioner-designate Rovana Plumb is unable to exercise her function.” He gave the committee until Monday noon to reply.

If MEPs stick to their guns, Sassoli will ask Commission President-designate Ursula von der Leyen how she plans to proceed. She might withdraw the nominees and ask both governments for alternatives, but Dăncilă and Kovács’ interventions suggest that will not go down well in Bucharest and Budapest.

“I hope the JURI committee’s response will be a positive one, in line with the proposal made by Romania and supported by the President of the European Commission,” wrote Dăncilă on Saturday.

Hanne Cokelaere, Carmen Paun and Lili Bayer contributed reporting.