European Council President Charles Michel on January 7 downplayed criticism of his plan to resign early to run for a seat in the European Parliament in June, saying there was plenty of time to choose his successor and the EU had options to "avoid Viktor Orban." That would see Michel, former Belgian prime minister, leave the European Council before his term expires at the end of November. As Hungary holds the rotating presidency of the council from July to December 2024, Prime Minister Viktor Orban could end up leading meetings if an interim successor is needed. Orban has been widely criticized for undermining democratic rights in Hungary.
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