Michel will announce the leadership of his party on Saturday evening In an interview with three Belgian newspapers. He became the leader of the European List of the Reform Movement (MR). This is an alliance between two French-speaking political parties and a German-speaking party in Belgium with a right-wing and center-right signature. Michel was previously the national leader of this coalition. The MR party currently holds two seats in the European Parliament and is part of the right-wing liberal Renew Europe faction, which also includes D66 and VVD.

The President of the European Council is responsible for summit meetings between the heads of government of the 27 member states. The President of the Council and his officials must work to get everyone on the same page before and during the meetings so that the decision-making process does not get bogged down, for example on aid to Ukraine. Michel and his predecessors are also called the President of the European Union.

The European elections are scheduled to take place from June 6 to 9 this year. If Michel is elected, he will be sworn in in mid-July and will have to resign from his position as President of the Council. His term will only end on November 30, meaning there is a gap of about six months.

Orban’s scary scenario

This shouldn’t be a big problem: normally the prime minister of the country that holds the EU’s rotating presidency also becomes interim Council president, as was the arrangement before 2009. Only: Hungary will take over as president from July. That means it The brat is terrible Viktor Orban becomes Michel’s temporary replacement.

According to EU diplomats, every effort will be made to prevent this scenario. Member states are likely to move forward the appointment of a new Council president, meaning the new president will begin his first two-and-a-half-year term in July instead of December.

Michel himself seems to allude to this. If elected, I will take my seat. “The European Council can anticipate this and appoint a successor by the end of June or early July,” he told Belgian newspapers.

This position has only been in place since 2009, and Michel will become the first president not to complete his term. However, his departure is not surprising: Belgian Herman Van Rompuy and Donald Tusk were also president for five years. Moreover, no one in Brussels expected Michel to continue, he was so unpopular. Michel received a lot of criticism for his chaotic style in leading summit meetings. European Union ambassadors also criticized its weak and late preparation and provision of information.

Sauvaget

In addition, Michel has been constantly at loggerheads with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, with whom he must work closely. Especially after things didn’t work out again in Sofagate. When the two visited Turkish President Erdogan in 2021, only two chairs appeared to be ready.

Under the gaze of the cameras, Michel sits on a bench next to Erdogan, forcing the confused and angry von der Leyen to sit on a bench away from the two men. Von der Leyen later described the incident as sexist.