Charles Michel’s election bid sparks race to stop Orbán from taking European Council reins

euronews (in English)

Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán could take the reins at the European Council in July unless EU leaders can swiftly find a successor to its current president.

Transcript

00:00 "It is essential that in 2024 we defend a solid, robust Europe that protects the citizens."

00:06 President of the European Council Charles Michel's announcement that he is ending his

00:10 mandate earlier than expected to run for European elections has raised some eyebrows in Brussels.

00:17 A prominent Dutch MEP, Sophie Indveld from the same centrist liberal political family

00:22 as Michel, wrote on social media that Michel was acting like a captain leaving his ship

00:27 in the middle of a storm. When asked by Euronews, expert Alberto Alemano said Michel's decision

00:32 was selfish.

00:33 "So in a way this is really terra incognita, is a new area, a new space for the European

00:41 leaders which Michel is actually doing just to pursue his own self-interest. He's certainly

00:47 not in the interest of the European Union to have him end his political mandate before

00:53 his natural term which would have been November 2024."

00:57 According to EU law, if a replacement for the EU Council presidency is not found in

01:03 time, the position will go to whoever is next in rotation. In theory, this could mean the

01:09 key position could land in the hands of Hungary's Eurosceptic Prime Minister Viktor Orbán,

01:14 who is due to hold the EU's rotating presidency from July.

01:19 "But it appears much more likely that by then European leaders will find a replacement.

01:26 Most likely in my interpretation will be a temporary interim replacement, somebody who

01:30 is going to cover the natural ending of this mandate of Mr. Michel from let's say June

01:37 to November. And then as a part of the package of the new European top jobs, a new name will

01:42 be identified."

01:43 Sources close to Charles Michel told journalists that EU leaders could eventually find his

01:50 successor in June right after the elections or they could change the rules to find a successor

01:56 for the interim period.

01:58 (whooshing)

02:00 [SWOOSH]

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