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Cultura

EU lawmakers reject Hungarian culture nominee, disrupting Juncker plan


    BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Parliament's culture committee voted on Monday to reject the nomination of Hungarian Tibor Navracsics as education and culture commissioner, though it accepted that he could be a part of the EU executive in another role, lawmakers said.

    "First defeat for Juncker!" tweeted Spanish Green Ernest Maragall, saying the vote went 14-12 against the Hungarian in a move that may disrupt the line-up of the team proposed by incoming European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

    Lawmakers grilled Navracsics last week over Hungarian laws on minority rights, the media and judiciary which European institutions found to be contrary to human rights treaties. Navracsics had, in further written testimony, tried to distance himself from the government of which he had been part.

    "He can still be part of the Commission, but not in this role," a parliamentary source said. Parliament is due to hold a single confirmation vote on the Commission as a whole on Oct. 22. Problems in committees may oblige Juncker to reshuffle his team before then in order for the new Commission to take office.

    (Reporting by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Dominic Evans)