This Monday 1 January 2024, Belgium takes over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union from Spain. The small nation will face the challenge of organising its own national elections which coincide with the European elections in June.
With more than 150 files to deal with and European elections at the beginning of June – not to mention Belgium's federal elections scheduled for the same day – Brussels will have a busy mandate ahead.
RFI spoke with Sébastien Maillard, who headed the Jacques Delors Institute from 2017 to 2023 and is currently a special adviser on enlargement at the greater Europe centre at the institute.
RFI: What are the challenges and objectives set by Belgium for the next six months of its presidency European Council?
Sébastien Maillard: The challenge for the Belgian Presidency is to bring the European legislature to a successful conclusion, since elections are scheduled for 9 June, i.e. during this six-month presidency. So it must also guide the strategic debate to prepare for what's to come, in other words the next European cycle – the next five years.
In order to finish the mandate on a high note, it will inherit the achievements of the Spanish presidency, which in the final analysis did not lose out, because if we look at the very last stretch of [Spain's] presidency, it was able to conclude on some major issues. I'm thinking of the Stability Pact [the budgetary rules] and the immigration pact.
Financial framework
One of the big issues it will still have to deal with is the revision of what is known as the multiannual financial framework, i.e. the European budget for the coming years, and also ensuring that aid to Ukraine does not wane.
So Belgium has both internal and geopolitical issues to deal with, but it will also have to steer the debates as we approach the European elections. We already have to prepare the roadmap for the next European Commission, and lead this debate to really determine where Europe wants to go.
And Belgium doesn't have much time. It only has three months to make decisions on the legislative files, given that from 25 April the European Parliament will no longer be able to co-legislate.
👋 Welcome 🇧🇪 Belgium @eu2024BE, which has just taken over the Council presidency. It's going to be an exciting six months!#EU2024BE
— EU Council (@EUCouncil) January 1, 2024
RFI: You mentioned this "shortened presidency". Can we expect European institutions to operate at a slower pace because of the elections scheduled in six months' time, or on the contrary, will they speed up work on current files?
SM: The best argument when you want to wrap up a dossier is to say: "Careful, there's not much time left". Belgium can make the most of this time to move forward, if it manages its time well.
Personally, I'm expecting a presidency in two stages: a very fast-paced presidency in the first quarter and then a presidency that slows down much more ... in a much more preparatory mode and strategic thinking about the future, less in operational mode.
But at the end of the mandate, the fact that the elections are approaching is, on the contrary, a pressure that must be used to complete the projects that have been started.
When you have five years ahead of you, you're sometimes less productive, so it can be a very useful presidency. But in the end, the Spanish presidency has been more effective than we expected.
Attached to construction of Europe
RFI: Doesn't the fact that, as in Spain, Belgian federal elections will be held during this presidency and influence Brussel's mandate? Shouldn't Europe pay a little more attention to the electoral calendar and avoid such situations?
SM: It's true that presidencies come and go and are marked by national deadlines. We had them in France during the six-month presidency. In Spain, it wasn't planned, but it's true that those early elections tarnished the start of [Spain's] presidency somewhat. Pedro Sanchez – the President of the Spanish government – had his mind elsewhere. And now we're seeing it in Belgium. It was also the case with Sweden. It's not easy to capture attention when you're caught up with national deadlines.
But this is nothing new, and Belgium has the distinction of being a founding state, very pro-European. At the same time, it is a politically fragmented country, with a heterogeneous coalition of nearly seven parties, with major divergences, different points of view ... But I would say that, beyond this political diversity, all these parties have at least one thing in common: the desire for Europe, for European integration.
Belgium is viscerally attached to the construction of Europe, so it has every interest in showing that it can be useful to Europe, since it is Europe, I would say, that holds it together. It will also be able to take advantage of its presidency to promote greater national unity, which it lacks.
Compromise as an added value
With the Belgian elections coming up on 9 June, in other words at the same time as the European elections, the electoral campaign will take place during the second half of the presidency.
Let's hope that these national deadlines don't distract Belgium too much from its duties towards the European presidency.
It should be remembered that Belgium has a highly appreciated savoir-faire in Europe, namely the art of compromise.
We know that between French-speakers and Flemish-speakers, between socialists, liberals and conservatives, Belgium itself lives and breathes compromise.
Perhaps it can put this legendary know-how to good use in Europe. And that, too, is one of Belgium's added values.
(Original article published in French by RFI's Romain Lemaresquier)
