This Monday, January 1, 2024, Belgium will take over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Spain. The small country will face the challenge of organizing its own national elections to coincide with June’s European elections.
With over 150 files to process and the European elections in early June, not to mention the Belgian federal elections on the same day, Brussels will have a busy day ahead. .
RFI spoke to Sébastien Meillard, who led the Jacques Delors Institute from 2017 to 2023 and is now special advisor on expansion at the institute’s Greater Europe Center.
Information provided: What are the challenges and goals that Belgium has set for the next six months as European Council Presidency?
Sebastian Meillard: The Belgian President’s task is to bring the European Parliament to a successful conclusion. That’s because the election is scheduled for June 9, during this six-month presidential term. Therefore, we also need to guide the strategic discussion to prepare for what lies ahead, the next European cycle, the next five years.
In order to finish the mission on a high note, he would have to inherit the achievements of the Spanish president, but in the end, the Spanish president was not defeated either. [Spain’s] After taking office, he was able to reach conclusions on several major issues.I’m thinking about the stability pact [the budgetary rules] and immigration agreements.
financial framework
The Belgian election will be held on June 9, coinciding with the European elections, and will be held in the second half of the presidential term.
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