EU Council President Charles Michel to step down early

The news: European Union Council President Charles Michel will step down early from his role if he wins a seat in the election for European Parliament in June.

The numbers: Michel told Belgian newspaper De Standaard he will leave his post mid-July if he gets elected to the European Parliament, months before his term expires at the end of November. The former Belgian prime minister has served as chief of the EU Council — the group of government leaders of the 27 EU member states — since late 2019.

The context: Michel's resignation comes at a critical moment for EU diplomacy as the bloc struggles to maintain support for Ukraine and handle a fracturing Middle East and disputes with China. He faced criticism for the decision, which could result in Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban leading meetings if an interim successor is needed. Hungary holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU from July to December this year, and Orban has opposed many EU initiatives to support Ukraine apart from being widely criticised for undermining democratic rights in Hungary. Michel downplayed the impact, saying there was plenty of time to choose his successor and the EU had options to "avoid Viktor Orban".