Michel sparks scramble to stop Orbán taking control of European Council

President under fire after announcing he will run for election as MEP in June and will stand down if he wins

The president of the European Council, Charles Michel, has said he is running as an MEP in June's European elections and will stand down if elected, sparking a race to replace him or risk the role reverting to Hungary's nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orban.

I have decided to run in the European elections in 2024," Michel told Belgian media late on Saturday. 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 2019.