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.
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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]