The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, unexpectedly announced on Sunday that he will resign in order to take part in the European Parliament elections in June.
Negotiations for the highest posts in the Community are not due to start until November.
Since Hungary will preside over the EU for six months from July on a rotating basis, according to the bloc’s current rules, V. Orbán could temporarily serve as head of the EEAS if the member countries fail to agree on a permanent successor to Ch. Michel.
“To all who wonder if Prime Minister Viktor Orbán could be the interim president of the European Council if the president of the European Council becomes an MEP: let’s keep the strategic calm,” Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs wrote on the X social network.
The Hungarian leader has previously said that strategic calm means “talking little, but doing it precisely and responsibly.”
Orban, who is at loggerheads with Brussels over frozen billions of euros in EU funding to boost Hungary’s economy and is the leader of any EU member state with the best relationship with Moscow, has blocked a new funding package for Ukraine.
Speaking about the possibility for V. Orban to temporarily hold the position of EVT chairman, Mr. Michel noted that the current procedure can be changed by a simple majority vote.
“There are many measures, if only there was the political will to avoid Viktor Orbán,” the politician said on Sunday, explaining his decision to quit early.
The 48-year-old former prime minister of Belgium has been organizing EU summits and government meetings since 2019.
Ch. Michelis said that he will hold the position of EVT chairman until July, when, if elected, he will be sworn in as a member of the EP. This must happen on July 16.
Elections to the EP will be held on June 6-9.
Starting July 1, the group of 27 member states will be chaired by Hungary on a rotating basis for six months.
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2024-07-05 03:39:09