European Council President Charles Michel and his commissioner counterpart Ursula von der Leyen will meet in person on Monday for the first time since last week’s incident in Ankara. This confirms the Commission spokesman.
Michel and von der Leyen meet on Monday at 5 p.m. during the regular weekly meeting of the Chairs of the Council and the Commission. It is the first time the two leaders have seen each other Since the diplomatic incident in Ankara last week.
To her own surprise, von der Leyen was not shown in a chair next to Michel and Erdogan during a meeting with the Turkish president, but rather had to sit on a sofa a little further in the room. On Monday, a UNHCR spokesperson said that she immediately traveled to Jordan and then took some time for her family in her home country, Germany, and had never had time to have a conversation with Michel before.
Meanwhile, the Commission and the Council are looking for a “tentative way” for the two leaders’ future foreign visits, according to the daily press conference of the European Union’s Executive Council.
Bjwen Seibert, head of the office of von der Leyen, informed Ivekney in the Belgian Council Frederick Bernard in an email about the way in which the committee interprets the protocol rules regarding external visits. It appears that the committee and the council interpreted these rules differently, so it was not clear whether or not von der Leyen was now on the same level as Michel during external visits.
Von der Leyen previously asked its services to take necessary steps to avoid similar incidents in the future. On Monday, the spokesperson made clear that there was no intention in any case to amend the European treaties.
The President does not want to speak about foreign or security policy in place of the Speaker. We just want to set principles for the music, “he said.
And Seibert’s email also appeared to be set up with that effect. “The important point is to find an interim way to prepare a harmonious course for the future visits of the two Presidents.” The spokesman also confirmed that cooperation between Michel and von der Leyen will continue “as appropriate”, “for the benefit of the European Union and its citizens.”
