World
State of the Union: The Council President who stunned Brussels
This week, EU Council President Charles Michel announced that he would resign to run for a seat in the European Parliament.
When Ukrainians listen to European leaders talk about their support for the war effort, they have all the reason to be irritated by the lack of action – if “irritated” is the right word when you’re in a bloody war of attrition with Russia.
A €50 billion EU aid package to help Ukraine pay its bills over the next few years is being held up by Hungary while a goal to provide the country with one million ammunition rounds by March is unlikely to be reached and by a wide margin.
This week, German chancellor Olaf Scholz rang the alarm bells.
With €17 billion, his country is the second biggest donor of military aid to Ukraine after the United States and if Europe wants to prevent a Russian victory, his colleagues better step up to the plate, he said.
“As important as our German contribution is, it alone will not be enough to guarantee Ukraine’s security in the long term, I therefore call on our allies in the European Union to step up their efforts in support of Ukraine. In any case, the arms deliveries for Ukraine planned by the majority of EU member states to date are too small.”
Who was Scholz talking about? He didn’t name any names, but France, Italy and Spain only gave a combined €1.6 billion in military aid to Ukraine, according to data by the Kiel Institute.
The man in charge of coordinating EU policy, facilitating decision-making and providing European solidarity is Charles Michel. As president of the European Council representing the national governments, his job is to set the agenda, find compromise and unblock stalemates.
This week, the former Belgian prime minister announced that he would run for a seat in the European Parliament which, if successful, would see him leave his current role several months early. The Brussels bubble was stunned but Michel himself sees it as an almost natural decision.
“Not being a candidate would have been a form of evasion. Being a candidate means taking responsibility. For four years, at the heart of the European Council, I took part in fundamental decisions for 450 million European citizens. So, it’s normal to be accountable, to explain decisions and what we want for the future.”
Many people were confused.
“In this particular case, this matters because it triggers a whole chain reaction which we have seen that has created a lot of agitation in Brussels and elsewhere in European capitals, because the departure from the post of the president of the Council leaves that position open theoretically for about six months,” Doru Frantescu, CEO and founder of the research platform EUMatrix, said to Euronews’ State of the Union.
“That’s a very difficult plan, very complicated at the time right after the European elections. It is when the European leaders need to agree on the composition of the next European Commission, the next two posts, but also the next legislative agenda, the priorities.
“And in this particular case, the departure of Charles Michel would also create a sort of power vacuum and legal vacuum because in the absence of another person that will take up the presidency of the Council by default, the chair would go to the prime minister of the rotating presidency, in this case, Mr. Viktor Orbán of Hungary, which, as we know, has had a difficult relation with Brussels over time. And this is what concerns some of the EU politicians which are trying to find a solution for this not to happen,” he added.
Meanwhile, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, a former president of the EU parliament, suggested this week to merge the positions of council president and commission president to make EU decision-making more efficient.
But for Frantescu, “it would require a change of the treaties that cannot be done just like that, by the decision of the political leaders.”
With the far-right expected to surge in the June EU election, could Michel’s move be designed to limit the damage for liberals?
“I think the liberals certainly do need some sort of element to make their campaign more positive towards the European elections because now they are suffering in the polls. Projections now show that if elections were to be held this week, they would lose some seats there, which is also the case of the other political parties at the centre,” Frantescu said.
“The way it looks now, the electorate is moving towards the right. Nationalists are projected to gain a substantial amount of seats, which would indeed change the pattern of the formation of a majority in the next Parliament, especially on some specific policies,” he also said.
NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices rose in early trading Sunday as a standoff between Iran and the U.S. prevented tankers from using the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf waterway that is crucial to global energy supplies.
The price of U.S. crude oil increased 6.4% to $87.90 per barrel an hour after trading resumed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 5.8% to $95.64 per barrel.
The market reaction followed more than two days of lifted hopes and dashed expectations involving the strait. Crude prices plunged more than 9% Friday after Iran said it would fully reopen the strait, which it effectively controls, to commercial traffic.
Tehran reversed that decision and fired on several vessels Saturday after President Donald Trump said a U.S. Navy blockade of Iranian ports would remain in effect. On Sunday, Trump said the U.S. attacked and forcibly seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that allegedly tried to get around the blockade. Iran’s joint military command vowed to respond.
Sunday’s higher prices wiped out much of the declines seen Friday, signaling renewed doubts about how soon ships will again transport the vast amounts oil the world gets from the Middle East.
The US-Israeli war against Iran, now in its eighth week, has created one of the worst global energy crises in decades. Countries in Asia and Europe that import much of their oil from the Gulf have felt the most impact of halted supplies and production cuts, although rapidly rising gasoline, diesel and jet fuel prices are affecting businesses and consumers worldwide.
Asked when he thought U.S. motorists would again see gas cost less than $3 a gallon on average, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said prices at the pump might not go down that much until next year.
“But prices have likely peaked, and they’ll start going down,” Wright told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.
The price of crude oil — the main ingredient in gasoline — has fluctated dramatically since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, and as Iran retaliated with airstrikes on other Gulf states. Crude traded at roughly $70 a barrel before the conflict, spiked to more than $119 at times, and previously closed Friday at $82.59 for U.S. oil and $90.38 for Brent.
Industry analysts have repeatedly warned that the longer the strait is closed, the worse prices could get.
A fragile, two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is set to expire Wednesday, while escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz puts the fate of new talks to end the war into question.
Even if a lasting deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz emerges, analysts say it could take months for oil shipments to return to normal levels and for fuel prices to go down. Backed-up tanker traffic, shipowners concerned about another sudden escalation, and energy infrastructure damaged during the war are factors that could impede production and shipment volumes from returning to pre-war levels.
A gallon of regular gas cost an average of nearly $4.05 a gallon in the U.S. on Sunday, according to motor club federation AAA. That’s about 8 cents lower than a week ago, but far higher than $2.98 before the war.
Trump warns Iran it ‘can’t blackmail’ US with Hormuz closure
Fox News reports on heightened tensions in the Middle East as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard reaffirms strict control over the Strait of Hormuz and fires on passing ships. President Donald Trump, speaking from the Oval Office, states the US naval blockade will remain in full force. White House correspondent Alex Hogan provides updates on the escalating diplomatic and military standoff.
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Hundreds of commercial tankers are stranded on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz after Iran shut the critical chokepoint on April 18, halting traffic and leaving crews trapped amid reports of gunfire and “traumatic experiences” on board.
The Strait of Hormuz is considered an international waterway under international law, through which ships have the right of transit passage, according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making it a critical chokepoint for global energy markets, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Iranian gunboats opened fire on a tanker the same day, while a projectile struck a container vessel, damaging cargo.
STARMER AND MACRON ACCUSED OF ‘PLAYING AT BEING RELEVANT’ WITH STRAIT OF HORMUZ PLAN
U.S. Central Command said Tuesday that “U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers are among the assets executing a blockade mission impacting Iranian ports.” (CENTCOM)
Audio released by maritime monitoring group TankerTrackers appears to capture the moment a vessel and its crew came under fire while approaching the strait, including a distress call from a crew member.
“Sepah Navy! Motor tanker Sanmar Herald! You gave me clearance to go… you are firing now. Let me turn back!” the crew member can be heard saying in the recording, according to TankerTrackers.
Iranian state media confirmed that shots were fired near vessels to force them to turn back, while the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India said the foreign secretary was deeply concerned.
Hapag-Lloyd, the world’s fifth-largest container shipping line, told Fox News Digital that it had activated a crisis team as its crews remain stuck on board vessels in the region.
“We have been working from Friday afternoon until today with the entire crisis team to bring the vessels out — in vain, unfortunately,” said Nils Haupt, senior director of group communications at Hapag-Lloyd AG.
“These events can easily lead to traumatic experiences. There is also a significant risk from sea mines, which has made insuring vessels for passage through the Strait nearly impossible.”
LISA DAFTARI: HORMUZ WHIPLASH PROVES TEHRAN CAN’T HONOR ANY DEAL IT SIGNS
“The crews are well, but they are becoming increasingly impatient and frustrated. It is very unfortunate that we could not leave today,” he added. “Many ships are still stuck in the Persian Gulf.”
“Our six ships are anchored near the port of Dubai, and all crews hope for an improvement in the situation,” Haupt said.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on April 18 that the strait would remain closed until the U.S. lifts its blockade on Iranian ports, warning ships not to move from anchorage or risk being treated as “enemy” collaborators.
Iran has previously argued that restrictions on its oil exports and shipping amount to “economic warfare,” framing actions in the Strait of Hormuz as a response to foreign pressure on its economy, according to statements from Iranian officials and state media in past incidents.
“Approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and any violating vessel will be targeted,” the IRGC said in a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
TRUMP ORDERS A BLOCKADE IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ AS TENSIONS WITH IRAN SOAR
Fishing boats dot the sea as cargo ships, in the background, sail through the Arabian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz off the United Arab Emirates, Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo)
The United States imposed the blockade on Iranian ports to pressure Tehran to reopen the strait, with U.S. Central Command saying the measures are being enforced “impartially against all vessels.”
Hapag-Lloyd said its vessels have been stuck for weeks following the initial closure after the outbreak of war with Iran on Feb. 28.
“For us, it is critical that our vessels can pass through the strait soon,” Haupt said.
“We offer all crew members unlimited data so they can video call loved ones and access entertainment. Crews are strong, but after weeks on board there is growing monotony and frustration.”
“One crew experienced a fire on board from bomb fragments. Others have seen missiles or drones near their vessels,” he added.
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“They are resilient, but each additional day makes the situation more difficult, more monotonous, and more stressful.”
President Donald Trump said Iran had agreed not to close the strait again but after the closure, Trump called the situation “blackmail” and said the U.S. would not back down.
Shops and schools shut in northern Israel as residents protested a 10-day ceasefire with Lebanon that took effect on April 16, saying “nothing was achieved”. Israeli officials say operations may continue, with forces still deployed inside southern Lebanon.
Published On 19 Apr 2026
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