Charles Michel pulls out of European Parliament elections race

Brussels – Three weeks after announcing that he would run for the upcoming European Parliamentary elections in Belgium, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, changed his mind. His choice had sparked a wave of criticism because a possible election of Michel as an MEP in June could have opened the scepter of the Council in the hands of the Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban until November unless a prompt agreement on a successor for the next five-year term.

In the event of Michel’s early resignation, the presidency of the European Council would automatically pass to the head of the Council of the European Union. According to the six-month rotating presidency calendar, it will be Hungary’s turn in July. Although he was aware of this mechanism, Michel had said that “the timely announcement of my decision ensured the transparency of my intentions and gave the European Council sufficient time to prepare a smooth institutional transition, in the European interest, after the European elections.”

But harsh criticism and media speculation triggered the turn-around: in a lengthy post on his social channels, the Belgian liberal explained that he in no way wanted his decision “to distract us from our mission or undermine this institution and our European project, nor be used in any way to divide the European Council, which I believe must work tirelessly for European unity.”

Michel concluded by assuring, “I will devote all my efforts to my current responsibilities with steadfast determination until they come to an end.”