Baku, November 30, AZERTAC

António Costa will take office as president of the European Council on 1 December as part of the EU's new institutional cycle, according to Euronews.

A changing of the guard has taken place in Brussels. Charles Michel, the outgoing president of the European Council, has handed the baton (or in this case, the bell) to his successor António Costa. The brief ceremony on Friday was marked by calls for political unity in the face of adversity.

"The only way to be truly patriotic is to ensure sovereignty, to build a common Europe. Because only together can we stand up for security, stability and peace in our continent. Only together can we achieve shared prosperity, economic growth and the climate transition," Costa said before a crowd of officials and diplomats.

"Unity is the lifeblood of the European Union."

Costa, the former prime minister of Portugal, will take office on 1 December, coinciding with the start of Ursula von der Leyen's incoming European Commission leadership. His tenure will last two-and-a-half years with the possibility of a one-time extension.

Von der Leyen and Michel had a notoriously frosty relationship, dating back to the Sofagate episode in Turkey. Costa intends to close this chapter and "work closely" with von der Leyen to "reinforce each other's action," said a senior EU official.

As president of the European Council, he will prepare and moderate EU summits, where leaders set the political agenda of the bloc's future. The position lacks executive powers and is largely aimed at representation and coordination.

In his speech, the incoming president portrayed himself as a bridge-builder and argued that "differences of opinion" between member states, which are frequent and numerous, should be respected instead of treated as a "problem".

"We have 27 different histories and cultures, and we look at the world from different geographic locations. That diversity is perfectly natural. It enriches us and we can, in fact, harness it. It is Europe's strength," the 63-year-old said.

Janis A. Emmanouilidis, deputy chief executive of the European Policy Center (EPC), thinks Costa will be vocal about his views while keeping all leaders on the same page.

Costa "will try to strike compromises, find consensus – hopefully, compromises – not at the lowest common denominator, because this is not what Europe needs at this present point in time," Emmanouilidis told Euronews.

Once in office, Costa will become the most prominent figure of the socialist family in Brussels, together with Teresa Ribera, the Commission's first executive vice president. For the socialists, these two appointments are vital to maintaining a certain degree of influence as the bloc continues its right-wing shift.