WORLD
Charles Michel appointed European Council president
Baku, July 3, AZERTAC
The European Council elected today Charles Michel as President of the European Council, according to the organization’s website. The announcement was made on Tuesday evening, together with announcements of other EU leadership posts, following the May elections. The President of the European Council is elected for the period from 1 December 2019 until 31 May 2022. The European Council also welcomed the decision of the Heads of State or Government of the Member States whose currency is the euro to appoint Charles Michel as President of the Euro Summit, for the same term of office.
Michel, 43, is just the third to hold the post but the second Belgian; Herman Van Rompuy of CD&V was the first to occupy the role, which was created a decade ago.
Michel’s name had been circulating for several weeks as a potential candidate for the job, though he was not considered the favourite. His supporters included French president Emmanuel Macron.
Michel grew up in a political family; his father Louis was a party leader, deputy prime minister and European commissioner. Michel studied law at ULB in Brussels and at the University of Amsterdam and became a local councillor in Walloon Brabant at the age of just 18. Five years later, he became one of Belgium’s youngest-ever members of parliament.
His term presiding over the European Council will begin on 1 December. The official term of the post is two-and-a-half years, with normally an extension granted of another two-and-a-half years.