The current President of the European Council was considering leaving his post prematurely to run for a seat as an MEP. Faced with controversy, he gave up.
Charles Michel has chaired the European Council since 2019, an EU institution which brings together the heads of state and government of the 27 member countries. At the beginning of January, the former Belgian Prime Minister indicated his intention to leave his post in July, a few months before the official end of his mandate, in order to run in the European elections. But faced with the criticism and controversy sparked by this announcement, Charles Michel is backpedaling.
“I have Europe close to my heart. I have served the European project with passion and conviction for almost ten years, first as Belgian Prime Minister, then in my current role”, writes the man of the Reform Movement, a party of the Belgian center-right, in a post published on Facebook Friday January 26. “It therefore seemed natural to me, like a Prime Minister who wishes to continue to serve his country, to confront the vote of voters to defend the European project,” he explains to justify his previous intentions .
“Announcing my decision early enough ensured the transparency of my intentions,” defends Charles Michel, who was accused of disrupting the European Council’s agenda by prioritizing his personal career. He acknowledges having “underestimated the scale and radicality of certain negative reactions” to his announcement at the beginning of January. “I do not want controversies to distract us from what is essential and harm the institution that I chair, and therefore the European project,” he declares.
“For these reasons, and in order to preserve serenity in the accomplishment of my current mission, I will not be a candidate in the European election. I will ensure my responsibility with total determination until its end”, concludes Charles Michel . “At the end of this mandate, I will take the time to reflect on the nature and direction of my future commitment,” he adds.
