European Council President Charles Michel is planning to resign from his position before June of this year to run for a seat in the European Parliament.
If a replacement is not selected by June 1, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will assume the role.
The Belgian politician intends to retire early from his current position before the European Parliament elections, scheduled for June of this year, even though his current term in office does not conclude until November.
Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, stated to lesoir.be, “I have decided to run for the European elections in 2024. If elected, I will take my seat in the European Parliament.”
According to European Union rules, if the President of the Council resigns, the leader of the country currently holding the presidency of the European Union will succeed them until the next President is elected by a majority of the twenty-seven European Union leaders.
In this scenario, if Michel vacates his position, and a successor is not found in time, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will temporarily assume the presidency.
Hungary is scheduled to take over the rotating presidency of the Council for six months starting from July 1, 2024.
Many have criticized this move, including Steven Van Hecke, a professor of European politics at the University of Leuven.
Van Hecke stated in an interview with Belgian radio that Michel was clearly prioritizing his personal interests over those of European institutions.
EU member state leaders are set to meet on June 17, 27, and 28 this year, following the parliamentary elections scheduled for June 6 and 9.
Charles Michel has been presiding over the European Council since 2019, having previously served as the Prime Minister of Belgium from 2014 to 2019.
