Questioning the last-ditch intervention by the Parliament’s President in a decision by MEPs to disqualify two Commissioner-designates, Left group co-Chair Manon Aubry (France Insoumise, France) has rejected pressure on the Legal Affairs committee to change its verdict.

The European Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) deemed Romanian Rovana Plumb and Hungarian László Trócsányi to have irreconcilable conflicts of interest with a very clear vote. President Sassoli has subsequently announced he is seeking further clarifications on the decision, a surprising request given the clarity of the votes taken by the Committee.

Aubry, who took part in the deliberations says:

“Why seek clarifications when the conclusion of the legal committee I’m part of was crystal clear: conflicts of interests cannot be resolved and Plumb and Tróscány are unable to exercise their functions. Is there an attempt to overrule the decisions taken in the JURI committee?

“Options to resolve the conflicts of interest or changes of portfolios are part of the options that were considered – and even voted on – but not chosen. This imbroglio shows once more how faulty the process is and how urgent it is to reform it and create an independent body!”