According to the French newspaper Les Echos on January 7, at the beginning of 2024, Europe has received a surprising news: Charles Michel, president of the European Council and a Belgian, will be a candidate for the European Parliament elections in June this year, so he intends to leave his current position in July. This is what he announced to several Belgians over the weekend. His presidency of the European Council was supposed to last until 30 November this year.
Michel, a 48-year-old former prime minister of Belgium, will represent the Belgian Reform Movement party in the elections. "This means that I will remain President of the European Council until I am sworn in as a Member of the European Parliament on 16 July," he further said. ”
The report pointed out that this is the first time that the incumbent of the post of President of the European Council has participated in the European Parliament elections and will leave a vacant position before the end of his term.
In addition to being surprising, Michelle's statement over the weekend also sparked criticism, including from his own political camp, the report said. Sophie Intelfeld, a Dutch-born MEP, said on social media platform X: "A captain left his ship in a storm. If this shows that you are indifferent to the fate of the EU, how credible are you as a candidate?”
According to Agence France-Presse on January 7**, European Council President Charles Michel made an unprecedented decision to leave early in July with five months to go before the European Parliament elections, which disrupted the schedule and raised difficult questions about his successor.
His early departure drew criticism, the report said. A European** said the European Council would decide on nominations for the "top office" at the end of June. However, he questioned Michel's "ability to campaign, especially to lead the European Council after the early June elections".
On 7 January, European Council President Charles Michel spoke at an event of the Reform Movement party in Nova Leuven, Belgium. (AFP).
According to Reuters on January 7, Michel will step down as president of the European Council before the end of his term. With Hungary holding the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of the year, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban may end up presiding over the meeting if an interim successor is needed. Orban has opposed a number of EU initiatives in support of Ukraine.
According to the report, the early departure comes at a critical time in EU diplomacy. Currently, the EU is trying to maintain the momentum of support for Ukraine and deal with the Middle East**.
Alberto Alemanno, professor of European Union law at HEC Paris, said on the social media platform X: "Charles Michel's decision to step down early as President of the European Council in order to pursue his own political career as a member of the European Parliament is not only self-centered, but also irresponsible. ”
The Spanish newspaper El Mundo said on January 7 that European Council President Charles Michel shook the European chessboard this weekend when he announced that he would participate in the European Parliament elections. His decision raised some doubts and concerns.
Some have reportedly questioned whether he can continue to act as an honest intermediary and impartial mediator, as his current position requires, while Michelle defended himself by saying that any prime minister seeking re-election must be both a leader and a candidate.
Compiled by Liu Zhuo, Lin Xiaoxuan, Feng Xue, Tian Ce).
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Introduction
Initiated by Bank of China (Europe)**China Three Gorges (Europe)** and COSCO SHIPPING (Europe)**, the EU China Chamber of Commerce was registered in Brussels on August 31, 2018, and currently has nearly 100 member units, representing more than 1,000 Chinese-funded enterprises in Europe, covering major EU member states. Located in Brussels, adjacent to the European Council and the European Commission, the Chamber of Commerce represents the interests of Chinese enterprises and shoulders the common mission of "connecting China and Europe for prosperity".