Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, will not run in the EP elections, so he will fill out his mandate until November. The Belgian politician reported this on his Facebook page.
The Belgian President of the European Council announced weeks ago that he will run in the European Parliament elections in June, which means that he will not be able to fulfill his mandate until November.
In EU circles, the search for a successor began immediately, especially after it emerged that Viktor Orbán, as EU president in a row, could take over the organization of summit meetings and the compilation of agendas in the second half of 2024. Some people wanted to avoid this at all costs. The name of Klaus Iohannis also popped up in the Romanian press, but it quickly became clear that Michel's successor as the Romanian president is not being seriously considered anywhere, except in Bucharest.
"The early announcement of my decision ensured the transparency of my intentions and provided the European Council with sufficient time to prepare a smooth institutional transition serving European interests after the European elections"
- wrote Charles Michel in his statement, and then continued that this decision "also led to extreme reactions".
He emphasized that he does not want his decision to undermine the institution of the European Council, the European project, and to divide the member states. Therefore, he decided not to run in the elections.
At the end of my mandate, I will reconsider the nature and direction of my future commitments, Charles Michel said in his statement.
Featured image: TASR/AP
