He came under fire after the hearing especially for his comments about women, including his suggestion that he was “an ally of women” because he lives with his wife and has three daughters.
Renew MEP Stine Bosse said she was “wholly unconvinced” that Várhelyi is the “right guardian of women’s rights,” while some MEPs suggested privately after the hearing that his portfolio could be trimmed to remove sexual and reproductive health care.
In follow-up questions sent by lawmakers Thursday, Várhelyi was asked what “concrete steps” he would take as EU health commissioner to promote access to and the provision of sexual and reproductive health care.
In his answers, which were published Friday, he said: “Sexual and reproductive health plays a key role in gender equality and women’s rights. If confirmed, I will therefore work together with the Commissioner for Equality on the post-2025 Gender Equality Strategy on issues related to health, including sexual and reproductive health.”
He didn’t say whether he would include abortion within the cross-border health directive, something that MEPs had pushed for, although he did make reference to the Commission’s support for the U.N.’s sustainable development goals, which include a reference to family planning.
MEPs will decide on Monday whether or not he gets the job.
