Michel dodges European Parliament grilling due to back pain

BRUSSELS — The European Council’s outgoing President, Charles Michel, is skipping a planned debate with members of the European Parliament (MEPs) later this week in which he was expected to face tough questions on his surprise move to run in the next European election.

Michel will not attend the faceoff with MEPs due to “acute lumbago” — in other words, lower back pain — a spokesperson for the European Council president told POLITICO’s Brussels Playbook.

“On doctor instruction the President must restrict his movements,” the spokesperson said, adding that he would instead speak to the Parliament “at the beginning of February.”

Michel sparked all-around fury from EU officials, European diplomats and Parliament last week with a sudden announcement that he would run for a seat in the European Parliament in June, which he has strong chances to land.

If he is elected, Michel would have to step down from his current job in mid-July — months before the end of his term as Council president, in November.

The move from the ex-Belgian prime minister was perceived as a signal that he gave more importance to his political future than to his current role.

It also threatened to launch a frantic scramble to allocate the EU’s next top jobs earlier than planned, as Michel’s decision opens the door for Hungary’s Euroskeptic Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose country will take over the rotating EU presidency in July, to temporarily replace him and chair the meetings of European leaders.

Michel was due to attend the plenary in Strasbourg on Wednesday together with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to explain the EU’s dealings with Orbán on rule-of-law issues. Last December, Brussels unblocked €10.2 billion in frozen EU funds earmarked for Hungary, causing fierce backlash from the European Parliament.

“Now he lets VDL deal with it alone,” a Parliament official said, referring to the Commission president, who is still expected to attend the debate.