Orbán could temporarily lead European Council if Michel resigns
Photo: Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán (facebook com orbanviktor)
Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán may temporarily lead the European Council in case of the resignation of the current president, Charles Michel, reports Politico.
The publication notes that if Michel resigns in July, EU leaders will have to quickly agree on the candidacy of his successor. If they fail to reach an agreement, the presidency will pass to Orbán, as Hungary will hold the EU Council presidency from July 2024 to December.
Politico emphasizes that this is the first case where the current president of the Euro Council will participate in the elections to the European Parliament and the first time he steps down from office prematurely.
Charles Michel was supposed to remain in office until November 2024. His decision to step down earlier puts additional pressure on European leaders, as they now have less time to decide who will head the main European institutions.
After the elections to the European Parliament, which will take place on June 6-9 in all 27 EU countries, EU leaders will meet on June 17, and then on June 27-28. Presumably, it is during these meetings that they will discuss the candidacy of Michel's successor.
Background
Recall that the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, in an interview with Belgian media, announced his intention to participate in the elections to the European Parliament. This implies that Michel will leave the position of the president of the EU Council prematurely.
It should be noted that the 48-year-old Michel is a former Prime Minister of Belgium and has been the head of the EU Council since the end of 2019.
