Lately, it has become fashionable to bash ambitious people. In fact, in the corridors of Brussels, one can increasingly hear furious murmurings about an ambitious man. The man happens to be Belgian. His name is Charles Michel.
Michel led a meteoric rise from Belgium to European politics. He became synonymous with breaking all sorts of “youngest” records, becoming Belgium’s youngest state lawmaker at 18, youngest minister at 25, youngest prime minister at 38, and finally elected at 44. He was elected as the youngest President of the European Council. The meteorite has returned to Belgium and EU society is outraged. This isn’t his first rodeo. And this isn’t the first time people have attacked him.
On the other side of the coin is the position itself. That role is that of the President of the European Council. This position is notorious for having power without prestige, compared to the Presidency of the European Commission, which has prestige but no power. But although he is a reformist and his Liberal Party is called the Reform Movement, he launched an ambitious reinterpretation of his role during his nearly five-year term.
And that triggered an avalanche of political backlash.
I say almost because that’s the core of why people criticize him – he’s called a deserter. He is an “irresponsible” traitor to the European Union who prioritized his personal interests over “self-sacrifice.” He has a sense of duty rather than irresponsibility. Instead of completing the second term of the maximum five-year term (four years, 364 days to be exact), who decided to leave the term with four years and 226 days remaining, with about four months remaining? The decision could have serious implications for his potential successor, as Hungary will take over the rotating council presidency in July.
But was he? Is it him? Or rather, can it be done? And that brings us back to the first point. What is actually being criticized is not the act itself. That’s ambition. He has the “boldness” of not stopping his career in public office and continuing to take advantage of his youth to run for office.
Because if Michel is old and thoughtful – “forgettable” as some say – then so is he, the only Belgian who knows what it feels like to hold the position of president. As such, he would have been treated and portrayed as critically as he is now. , Herman Van Rompuy. If you do it, damn it, if you don’t, damn it.
However, the responsibility to prevent the danger of a possible usurpation by Hungary’s Viktor Orbán should lie with the members of the council, not the president.
Michel gave ample notice (six months) to step down. If Michelle suddenly resigned now, it would be irresponsible. Members of Congress have a responsibility to act proactively and find a suitable interim president.
Moreover, in Europe it is customary to crush people with ambition and vision. And it is backfiring in elections across the continent. Instead of being inspired by ideas and innovation, Europeans are losing interest in bickering and bashing. Please stop bashing that person. If anything, it defeats the position.
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In reality, the best course of action would be no bashing at all, but rather a call for serious reform of the position. Condemning the campaign of council presidents near the end of their term suggests that there will continue to be real problems securing the place of leaders who are respected but have ambitions to be forgotten. become. The council deserves better. Europe deserves better.
Michel’s desire to return to campaigning in Belgium and reach the European Parliament is good for Europe. With Belgium at risk of falling into the hands of extremists in the upcoming elections, Michel’s participation in the campaign would give Belgium a stronger and more reliable presence in parliament. This is good not only for Belgium, but also for parliament and parliament.
It is natural to discuss and debate his record as president many times, but one thing is different: his passion and dedication to Europe. I have campaigned with him. He is a dedicated public servant who has dedicated his career to serving the public interest and hopes to remain useful.
Yes, maybe Michelle has decided to become a shaker rather than just a glorified standard-bearer. But at the end of the day, one thing is clear. That means we just need to stop bickering and start accepting that Michelle did the right thing.