Who is the head of the EU? From the “sofagate” scandal to the contest for meeting with world leaders

For the first time, the competition for the status of these two officials came to the attention of the general public in the spring of 2021, when Michel and Leyen went to visit the Turkish president. During the meeting with Erdoğan, Michel and Leyena found themselves in a room layout that did not fit the protocol of the situation: there was only one chair each next to the flags of Turkey and the European Union. Despite the fact that the presidents of the European Commission and the European Council are considered equals in terms of diplomatic status, Michel immediately went to sit in the chair next to Erdogan, while Leyena had to sit on the sofa sideways, actually looking at the two gentlemen from the side . This in Leyen the humiliating momentof course, it was immediately captured by invited media cameras, and was soon called the “couchgate scandal” by the world press.