Unpacking the Belgian EU Presidency and Upcoming European Parliament Elections

Welcome to a riveting episode of the Karen Coleman Podcast, where we tackle the major EU news and international affairs with insightful perspectives. In this episode, we delve into two focal areas as we start the new year 2024 - the Belgian presidency of the Council of the European Union and the forthcoming European Parliament elections. Our guest, Georg von Harrach, a seasoned EU journalist straight from Brussels, joins the discussion.

We start with a dissection of the Belgian EU Council presidency, and look at the main issues and challenges likely to emerge during its 6-month term. Given the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, the migration crisis, climate change, and the impacts of COVID, the Belgian presidency faces testing times.

Our attention then switches to the riveting game of chairs for the European Council President with Charles Michel’s ambitious bid for a European Parliament seat. We'll ask what will be the implications if Michel ditches his Council President's job prematurely especially with Hungary and its PM Viktor Orban set to take over from Belgium as EU Council Presidency in six months. 

Moving towards the latter end of the episode, we take a deep dive into the fears, speculations, and realities surrounding the 2024 European Parliament elections. The threat of rising extremist elements, changes in legislative dynamics, and increasing influence of the Parliament post Lisbon Treaty are among the key points of the discussion.