News: Parliament rebukes Várhelyi over oversight of enlargement funds

The European Parliament has issued a strong rebuke to former Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, now serving as Commissioner for Health, accusing him of “serious and prolonged managerial shortcomings” in the supervision of EU funds allocated to enlargement policies. The criticism is contained in the resolution on the discharge of the 2024 EU budget approved by the Strasbourg plenary. The resolution also denounces allegedly inaccurate information provided to the European Parliament during the budget scrutiny procedure.

MEPs stressed that respect for the rule of law must remain an essential condition for the use of European funds, calling on the Commission to apply instruments such as the suspension of financing more consistently in cases of democratic backsliding or violations of fundamental principles.

Photo credit: European Commission Audiovisual Service, Wikimedia Commons