EU Commissioner Várhelyi visits Flemish Parliament
Olivér Várhelyi, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, will visit the Flemish Parliament on Wednesday, May 11. The Hungarian EU Commissioner will also give a speech to the Flemish MPs.
The Flemish Parliament has invited Commissioner Várhely on the occasion of Europe Day, a day celebrating "peace and unity in Europe". It has become a tradition in the Flemish hemisphere to invite a prominent European figure on this European holiday. In the past, this has included former President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, former EU Commissioner Marianne Thyssen and former President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker.
According to parliamentary chairperson Liesbeth Homans, with Várhelyi's visit, the Flemish Parliament "once again reinforces its international image and shows its ambition to fully exercise its international competences". "Moreover, with the situation in Ukraine and their request to join the EU, this visit is particularly topical. In his role as European Commissioner responsible for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi is therefore a very interesting guest speaker at this time," Homans stated.
Still the invitation is somewhat peculiar, since Hungary is taking a controversial position in Europe with Viktor Orbán's government undermining the rule of law by changing the constitution all the time and more recently by opposing the EU proposal to boycott Russian gas. Várhelyi is known to be a henchman of Orbán.
Commissioner Várhelyi will address the plenary session of the Flemish Parliament. In his speech, he will give an update of the EU policy towards the Western Balkans, Turkey, the Eastern Partnership and the Southern Neighbourhood. The MPs will be able to enter into a debate with the guest speaker. Due to the visit of Commissioner Várhelyi, the plenary session will start one hour earlier than usual, at 13:00.
(HC)
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© BELGA PHOTO (HANS LUCAS) - Olivér Várhelyi at EU Commission headquarters.