Following comments by Hungarian Commissioner Tibor Navracsics on Victor Orbán’s failed asylum referendum in Hungary and his admission that he voted no in the ballot, S&D Group president Gianni Pittella said:
 
“European Commissioners have a duty to promote the general interest of the EU, not the interests of their own national governments. The comments by Commissioner Navracsics on the failed referendum in Hungary bring this into serious doubt. A legal decision was taken on the resettlement of refugees and the question in the referendum went directly against this and against the proposal coming from the EU Commission, which Navracsics is part of. 

“If Commissioner Navracsics does not believe in what his own Commission put forward and on the contrary considers that national governments should not follow decisions taken by the whole of the EU, then we have a problem. If this is how he feels then why is he working for the European Commission?
 
“Commissioner Navracsics must clarify his comments immediately.”