Michel's Early Resignation Is a Strange Signal: Politico

The intention of Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, to resign early this summer raises questions about the significance of this position. This is reported by the American publication Politico.

"This (early resignation) is a strange signal regarding the importance or absence of the European Council chief's role," the article states.

The publication notes that Michel's decision could indicate not only that the European Council leader does not consider his role significant, but also a desire to shift the responsibility of resolving the challenges related to Hungary and the resistance of other EU countries onto his successor.

According to a source close to Michel, EU leaders were not surprised by his announcement of a future resignation and agreed with his decision.

It is worth reminding that the information regarding Charles Michel's intention to retire early in the summer of 2024 was confirmed to Politico by his assistant on January 7. The politician intends to become a European parliament member, for which he must vacate his current position.

If EU leaders cannot quickly reach an agreement on a candidate for the new head of the European Council, it will likely be Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, as Hungary is set to chair the EU Council at that time.