The European Council should not have a president
As Europe’s has-beens, failures and nobodies start lining up to become the new European Council President next year, it’s time to admit that this role created 14 years ago is not working out as hoped.
This week, former Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi floated the idea that he should become the next President of the European Council - the body of 27 EU national leaders - following the EU election next June. That Renzi continues to be so self-confident years after blowing up his center-left party and his own political career (ushering the far right into power in the process), drew laughter from many quarters in Italy. But considering the post he’s eyeing, his idea is perhaps not so out of line. When it comes to delusions of grandeur, he would be following in some very well-trodden footsteps from the post’s current occupant, Charles Michel.