President of the European Council Charles Michel to leave office before the end of his mandate
President of the European Council Charles Michel will run in the European Parliament elections in June 2024 and will, therefore, leave office prematurely.
He said this in an interview with three Belgian newspapers, De Standard, Le Soir and La Libre.
As president of the European Council, he cannot combine his position with that of a member of the European Parliament.
If I get elected [in the June elections], I will take my seat. The European Council can anticipate and name a successor by end-June, early-July,
Michel said.
Michel, a former Belgian prime minister, will lead the list of his centre-right Movement Reformateur party. He became President of the European Council in late 2019 and was to remain in office until 2024.
EU leaders must elect Michel's successor by mid-July 2024. Otherwise, this role will be taken over by the leader of the country that holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council.
The first session of the new European Parliament is still six months away. My successor will be elected in late June or early July. The second half of 2024 is a period of political transition, including in the Commission. This is democracy,
Charles Michel commented.
He added that his decision seeks to "strengthen the democratic legitimacy of the European Union".
It will be recalled that on December 14, the European Council voted to start negotiations on Ukraine and Moldova's accession to the EU.
