Orban fears prompt Michel quit U-turn

European Council President Charles Michel has abandoned plans to leave his post early and stand in the spring European Parliament election because of concerns a power vacuum might lead to the Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban stepping into his place.

At the start of the year, the 48-year-old, who has been head of the group of the government leaders of the 27 European Union member states since 2019, told a Belgian newspaper of his intention to stand, adding, "If I get elected, I will take my seat. The European Council can anticipate and name a successor by end-June, early-July."

If no successor were found in time, however, Orban, whose country takes over the rotating six-month presidency of the EU from Belgium in July, could become council president by default.

Orban is a regular outlier of wider EU thinking. In 2022, he said "I am the only politician in the EU who stands for an openly anti-immigration policy… this is not a race issue for us, this is a cultural issue."

He is widely perceived as being sympathetic to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and sceptical of the EU's attitude toward Ukraine.

Last December, when talking about potential future Ukraine membership of the bloc, Orban told Hungarian state radio "I made it clear that Hungarians would not pay for the financial consequences of this decision.... If necessary, Hungary will pull the handbrake".

The Financial Times quoted sources close to Michel as saying his initial decision had been supported by EU officials, but he has changed his mind because of "extreme reactions" and "personal attacks" in response to his initial decision, adding that he would "devote all my efforts to my current responsibilities".

"I don't want this decision (to stand for election) to distract us from our mission or undermine this institution and our European project, nor be misused in any way to divide the European Council, which I believe must work tirelessly for European unity," he added.

This week EU leaders are due to have an extraordinary meeting to again discuss a funding package for Ukraine, a debate that had to be halted when they last met in December, because of Orban's refusal to support it.

Relations have reportedly become so strained that The Guardian newspaper claims that unless a breakthrough is made, which seems unlikely, Article 7 of the EU treaty may be invoked, which permits member states to block another from voting.

An unnamed source told The Guardian EU leaders felt it was time to call Hungary's bluff over what they regard as "blackmail".

"They think if they go along with Orban this time, it will happen again, next time it could be migration, interest rates … it's about survival."