26/01/2024 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 26 January, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, announced via Facebook that he would not be standing as a candidate for the Belgian MR party in the European elections and that he will complete his second term of office, which runs until the end of October 2024 (see EUROPE 13323/3). “I will devote all my efforts to my current responsibilities with steadfast determination until they come to an end”, he wrote. The former Belgian Prime Minister referred to the “intense media attention” and “speculation” that his previous announcement had generated, which he said had led to “extreme reactions” about the consequences of such a decision. In the face of this criticism, he explained the merits of his now abortive approach, relying on the fire of the EU Council’s legal experts. He did not reveal anything about his future professional ambitions. To see Mr Michel’s statement: https://aeur.eu/f/aly (MB)