Member of the European Parliament from France and famous lawyer Gilbert Collard expressed the opinion that the decision of the President of the European Council Charles Michel to leave his post early for the sake of elections does not correspond to the level of responsibility of a politician in such an important position for the EU.
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“You cannot be both a politician chasing a position and a real political leader,” he said.
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He noted that the “thirst for political power” contradicts the principle of neutrality, which must be observed by the President of the European Council, which unites the heads of state and government of the European Union.
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Earlier, the head of the European Council, Charles Michel, whose mandate ends on November 30, 2024, said that he would take part in the upcoming elections to the European Parliament on June 6-9, 2024 and leave his current post in the summer to take the seat of a European deputy. In the event of early termination of the powers of the head of the European Council and in the absence of a successor, the post is temporarily transferred to the prime minister of the country that will chair the EU Council at that time, and this will be the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban.
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Michel has already been criticized for the fact that his departure will give Viktor Orban a chance to lead the European Council. Some MEPs also accused him of “escaping a sinking ship.”