“Sofagate”. The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, “pained” by the

The controversy swelled all day Wednesday, April 7, 2021 about the “Sofagate”. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, had been placed the day before by the protocol set back on a couch during its meeting with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the Turkish Head of State, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Ankara.

Faced with the scale of the reactions, Charles Michel chose to react on his personal Facebook page in the evening. He said to himself in particular “Pained” in front of the many comments that have been made against him, reproaching him for not having understood the symbol unfolding before his eyes.

Charles Michel “doubly saddened”

He regrets thus “The impression given that I would have been indifferent to the protocol awkwardness vis-à-vis Ursula. All the more so since I am honored to participate in this European project, of which two major institutions out of four are headed by women, Ursula von der Leyen and Christine Lagarde. And also proud that a woman, the first in history, succeeded me as Prime Minister of Belgium ”, he wrote in his message on the social network.

Another element which gives pain to Charles Michel, the extent of a controversy which would hide the results of this diplomatic visit. The two European leaders held at a press conference on Tuesday to mark “The deep concerns” of the European Union regarding violations of rights. “The rule of law and respect for fundamental rights are essential values ​​of the EU”, said the President of the European Council when Turkey is still supposed to be « candidate » upon accession, even if the process is totally frozen. “Turkey must respect human rights”, the President added the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, regretting in particular the recent abandonment by Turkey of the so-called Istanbul Convention against violence against women. “It’s a bad signal”, did she say.

The two European leaders, however, affirmed that Turkey remains “An important partner” of the EU and underlined its role in welcoming refugees, especially Syrians.

A protocol applied too “strictly” by the Turks?

Charles Michel, however, resumed the line of defense of the European Council, the body representing the Member States, recalling that its president had precedence over the Commission for International Protocol. “No arrangements were made other than those requested by an EU delegation which prepared the visit”, also assured at the end of the day a Turkish official. The visit had been prepared by the EU Ambassador in Ankara.

Charles Michel confirms this version: “The strict interpretation by the Turkish services of the rules of protocol has produced a distressing situation: the differentiated, even reduced, treatment of the President of the European Commission”, he explains. “At the time, while perceiving the regrettable nature of the situation, we chose not to aggravate it by a public incident”, he says.

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