The Legal Affairs (JURI) Committee of the European Parliament blocked the nomination of the Hungarian candidate Laszlo Trocsanyi for the next Enlargement Commissioner.

After the vote of 40 members of Parliament from all party groups, it was revealed that Ursula von der Leyen’s nominee for enlargement will be blocked, because of alleged insufficient clarity regarding a potential conflict of interest and discrepancies about his property status. Trocsanyi was pressed on a law firm which he had founded decades ago, and he provided a written explanation, but the opposition in the committee remained firm and he received 11 negative votes to nine in favor. Romanian candidate Rovana Plumb, who was nominated for the transportation department, was also rejected.

It’s still early to tell what happens with Trocsanyi’s candidacy, which was eagerly anticipated in the Balkans. It’s possible taht Hungary will insist on his nomination moving to the Parliament, and threaten to block other candidates. Another option is that Von der Leyen and Hungarian leader Viktor Orban decide on an another candidate.