Hungary urged "strategic calm" over fears in many European capitals that Prime Minister Viktor Orban could temporarily preside over the European Council unless EU leaders manage to find a quick successor to President Charles Michel, who unexpectedly announced his resignation to run as lead candidate for the liberal Reformist Movement (MR) in Belgium in the upcoming EP elections on June 6-9.

Hungary’s radical rightwing leader had previously said that "strategic calmness" means to "speak little, but then do it in a precise, responsible manner". This same term was used by the government just after Russia attacked Ukraine two years ago. The aggression caught Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest ally in Europe off guard, particularly as it came six weeks before the parliamentary election.  

According to EU treaties, in the absence of a president, the country that holds the six-month rotating presidency of the Council takes on caretaker responsibility. This means that without a successor, Hungary’s illiberal leader would take control as Hungary is to assume the rotating presidency on July 1, for the second time since it joined in 2004.

The position does not carry executive powers but allows the selected country to set the agenda, host meetings, steer negotiations, and draft compromise texts.

The European Parliament in the spring approved a non-binding resolution backed by the three major factions, the EPP, the Socialist and Democrats, and liberal Renew Europe, saying Budapest is unfit to host the six-month presidency for deliberate and systematic efforts "to undermine the bloc's fundamental values", but there is little inclination from national governments to block Budapest from taking up its presidency.

This is the first time that a current European Council president has stood as a candidate in an EP election. Under the normal scenario, Michel would stay in office until the end of November, when the new College of Commissioners is inaugurated.

But if elected as an MEP, he would have to take his seat in the European Parliament in July and resign from the council.

Michel's decision further tightens the timelines to select the next leaders of EU bodies to just five weeks before the inaugural session of the EP on July 16. EU leaders will gather for a summit on June 17 and on June 27-28.

Wrangling over the selection of top jobs at EU institutions is generally a time-consuming process, but Michel's announcement, which has caught everyone off guard in Brussels and in other EU capitals, could speed up that process.

Orban assuming leadership of a major EU institution could become a nightmare if European radical right-wing parties do well in the EP elections, claimed the prime minister’s ardent critic, Laszlo Bartus of Amerikai Nepszava. Orban, who has torn down the rule of law in Hungary, could use his influence to advance his anti-democratic agenda, turning anti-EU sentiments into legitimate debate topics, he argues.

Orban is hoping for a breakthrough of nationalist and Eurosceptic parties in the upcoming European elections. The possible shift in the political landscape could bring a change in the balance of power, which could alleviate his isolation.