LONDON DAILY ARCHIVE
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Charles Michel, President of the European Council, has unexpectedly announced that he will resign from his position after opting to run in the upcoming European Parliament elections slated for June. His current mandate expires in November.
09 January 2024 · 04:52 UTC










While Michel, who also served as Belgium's Prime Minister, has actively led the EU in addressing crises like the Covid pandemic and Russia's Ukraine invasion, he plans to resign in July to serve as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), starting July 16.
Critics, including Dutch MEP Sophie in't Veld, have censured Michel's move, likening it to abandoning his post during turbulent times. She questions his commitment to the EU on the social media platform X, which was once known as Twitter.
The upcoming elections will determine 720 parliamentary seats and are likely to usher in intense negotiations for key EU positions, such as those within the European Commission and the European Council.
Should Michel step down before a successor is chosen, Viktor Orban, Hungary's Prime Minister, who currently maintains strong relations with Russia, would temporarily fulfill the role as per EU protocol, though Michel suggests this could be altered by a majority vote.