The European Parliament declined on Monday to back the appointment of Hungary’s Tibor Navracsics as the next EU education and culture commissioner.<br /><br />Lawmakers pointed to a restrictive media law adopted when Navracsics served in Viktor Orban’s government as a key reason why he should not take the job.<br /><br />Parliamentary committees cannot block the appointment of an individual commissioner per se, but they can recommend that Jean-Claude Juncker, the next European Commission president, reshuffles his team.<br /><br />Former Slovenian prime minister Alenka Bratušek also came under fire; she drew the ire of MPs at home when she put her own name on her country’s shortlist before stepping down.<br /><br />It was at a time when EU officials were struggling to come up with enough female candidates.<br /><br />Bratušek has been nominated to become the next EU energy commissioner.<br /><br />‘We sent a list of names, a choice. this short-list consisted of 3 names, including mine. and the final decision was made by President Juncker,’ she said, rebuffing the accusations against her.<br /><br />The European Parliament can decide to accept or reject the next Commission as whole. That vote is scheduled to take place on October the 22nd.
