President
Charles Michel (2019-2024)

2021 in images

Family photo with all EU leaders at the Europa building in the evening. Around them are the flags of the EU member states and there is a red carpet on the floor.

Scroll down to see the key moments from President Charles Michel's second year in office.

Fighting COVID-19

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A drawer full of COVID-19 vaccines. A hand wearing a blue glove takes one.
People in a waiting room, some of them filling in vaccination forms. One of the people speaks to a volunteer wearing an orange vest. Everyone wears face masks.
EU leaders talk in a meeting room at the Europa building.

25 February 2021

Our present situation is certainly difficult. There is pressure in all our member states, a very strong expectation among all our citizens of that we should be able to go back to living in an open society, with more interaction and with social and economic impact.
President Charles Michel after the video conference of the members of the European Council

Working with our Eastern neighbours

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President Charles Michel in Georgia at a press conference with other leaders. From left to right: Salome Zourabichvili (President of Georgia), Maia Sandu (Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova), Volodymyr Zelenskyy (President of Ukraine), Charles Michel (President of the European Council). Behind them stand their respective flags.
President Charles Michel and President Volodymyr Oleksandrovyč Zelens'kyj of Ukraine talk outside at the entrance to a palace. The EU and Ukrainian flags are behind them.
President Charles Michel holds his arms out to a woman in a dusty blue-and-white jacket. A woman beside them looks on.

5 March 2021

The idea of being stronger together is not a vague notion. This past week I visited Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine to reaffirm the EU’s unwavering support for the territorial integrity of Georgia and Ukraine, and for the reform agenda of President Maia Sandu in Moldova. The EU stands by your side.
President Charles Michel after his visit to Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia

EU-US partnership

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President Joe Biden (USA) approaches President Charles Michel and President von der Leyen. Behind them are blue panels reading 'EU-US Summit - Brussels 15 June 2021'. The US and EU flags are printed on the panels.
Shown from behind, President Charles Michel and President von der Leyen stand outside on a red carpet. In front of them is a black car bearing US flags.
President Joe Biden sits at the roundtable during a plenary session. Behind him are the EU and US flags. On the desk in front of him he has papers, hand sanitiser and water.
A television screen showing an EU leaders’ video conference with US President Biden. In the top left President Charles Michel sits in front of EU flags, in the top right President Joe Biden is in his office, and underneath are images of all the other EU leaders.

25 March 2021

After the US elections, we discussed what your presidency would mean for our transatlantic relationship. We are united in our assessment. This is a historic opportunity to re-energise our cooperation and deepen our historic bond.
President Charles Michel at the beginning of the EU leaders’ video conference with US President Biden

Porto Social Summit

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President Charles Michel during the presentation of his Commitment, at the Porto Social Summit. From left to right: Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission), President Michel, António Costa (Prime Minister of Portugal), David Sassoli (President, of the European Parliament). Everyone on stage is wearing a mask.
President Charles Michel on stage during his closing speech at the Porto Social Summit.
A view of the city of Porto, Portugal, showing tall, red-roofed buildings.

7 May 2021

To those who say they cannot see Social Europe, I would reply that you cannot see the air that you breathe: invisible, maybe; but essential.
President Charles Michel at the closing session of the Social Summit in Porto

40th anniversary of Greece's accession to the EU

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Close-up of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and President Charles Michel talking and smiling in a corridor. From left to right: Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and President Charles Michel.
Overhead view of a round room, with a fountain in the middle surrounded by greenery. Chairs are placed in a circle in the room and a piano stands next to the stage. There are Greek and EU flags behind the stage.
President Charles Michel crouches outside on the steps to pet the Greek Prime Minister's dog. From left to right: Kyriakos Mitsotakis (Prime Minister of Greece), President Charles Michel.

27 May 2021

Europe has been shaped by Greece, much as Greece has been transformed by Europe. We cannot exist without you, just as you do not want to exist without Europe.
President Charles Michel at the event marking the 40th anniversary of Greece’s accession to the EU

Relations with Africa

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President Charles Michel attends the ceremony of the PANAV buoy ships during a visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. President Michel, stands to the right of Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, as they cut the ribbon.
President Charles Michel attends the Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa with others includingin the middle of the photo next to President Macky Sall of (Senegal) in Dakar. President Charles Michel stands in the centre touching a big stone on a low wall draped with EU and Senegalese flags.
President Charles Michel walks on the red carpet at a conference centre in Dakar alongside Aïssata Tall Sall, Senegal's Minister for Foreign Affairs.

31 May 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that we can no longer treat seemingly faraway crises as distant problems. What happens anywhere can affect people everywhere. That is why addressing the impact and legacy of the pandemic in Africa is so important.
An article co-signed by President Charles Michel and a number of European and African leaders

Vaccination campaigns

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President Charles Michel gets vaccinated at a vaccination centre in Brussels, wearing a white mask. A health worker wearing a blue mask is injecting the vaccine into his right arm.
A room in a vaccination centre with three small tables. At two of the tables, a health worker sits across from a citizen who is looking over and filling out paperwork.
A vaccination centre with two signs, one reading 'Vaccination Infirmier' and the other 'Consultation Médecin'. In the centre, a woman from the French Red Cross wearing an orange vest talks to a gentleman.

3 June 2021

I want to thank Nadia for giving me what we cherish the most: a shot of freedom. Nadia and all health workers around the world are helping us to slowly get back to our normal lives. It will still take some time and we have to remain vigilant, but we are on the right track.
President Charles Michel after getting the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine

Working with like-minded partners

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President Charles Michel chats and laughs with other EU leaders at a table outdoors. From left to right: Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission), Emmanuel Macron (President of France), Charles Michel (President of the European Council), Angela Merkel (former Federal Chancellor of Germany), Mario Draghi (Prime Minister of Italy).
President Charles Michel sits in the plenary beside Emmanuel Macron (President of France) and Angela Merkel (former Federal Chancellor of Germany).
Family photo with guests. They are smiling, laughing, talking to each other and looking at the sky.
The leaders throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain.

13 June 2021

Liberal democracies and open societies face pressure from authoritarian regimes. This challenge has prompted us to join forces, not only to be able to respond under pressure or attack, but also to spread our values of freedom, the rule of law and respect for human rights.
President Charles Michel following the G7 summit in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, UK

Afghanistan

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A black van with a shattered window. A man dressed in orange cleans up. There is an old wheelbarrow next to him containing dust and debris.
In the centre of the photo a woman holds a baby in her arms. Around her are soldiers who have just got off a plane – some carry suitcases, some backpacks, and others nothing.
President Charles Michel and President Ursula von der Leyen in a room. They wave from afar to some children and women wearing hijab, sitting on a table.
Dozens of soldiers stand inside a plane, with US flags strung up on the walls and packs of water bottles on the ground.
President Charles Michel high-fives an Afghan child.

21 August 2021

We are facing a geopolitical crisis, tragic and difficult circumstances, and devastating images. In the short term, we, along with the High Representative and our international partners, will continue to work over the coming hours to try to ensure the safe repatriation of those who choose to leave Afghanistan in light of the circumstances they face there.
President Charles Michel at the Madrid reception centre for the EU’s Afghan staff evacuated from Kabul

UN General Assembly

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President Charles Michel addresses the 76th UN General Assembly's General Debate, speaking from on a podium bearing the logo of the United Nations.
President Charles Michel sits for a discussion with the women at the Women In Conflicts event.
President Charles Michel and President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania greet each other by touching elbows. They are both wearing a mask. Behind them a photo of President Samia Suluhu Hassan hangs next to a Tanzanian flag.
A big oval room in gold, green and brown, topped with a black dome. There are six rows of seating. President Charles Michel gives a speech from the stage at the front of the room.
President Charles Michel has his photo taken with six other guests of the Women in Conflicts event. Behind them a screen shows a visual of the event.

24 September 2021

Peace is much more than the absence of war. Peace can never be taken for granted. It has to be worked at every day. It is sustained by the mutual connections between our societies. The more interests we share, the less we come into conflict. Economic, scientific, cultural and intellectual exchanges contribute significantly to stability.
President Charles Michel at the UN General Assembly

EU-Western Balkans summit in Slovenia

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President Charles Michel addresses the Prime Minister of Slovenia, Janez Janša, on the left. President Ursula von der Leyen stands on the right of the stage. The Slovenian and Slovenian rotating presidency flags are next to Prime Minister Janez Janša and there are pink orchids at the front of the stage.
Leaders smile as they speak to each other. From left to right: Zoran Zaev (Prime Minister of Republic of North Macedonia), Janez Janša (Prime Minister of Slovenia), Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission) and President Charles Michel.
President Charles Michel greets the Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas, by bumping fists. Angela Merkel (former German Federal Chancellor) stands next to President Michel.
President Charles Michel talks to a row of journalists during doorsteps. He is outside holding an umbrella while the reporters stand under a shelter.

6 October 2021

In a strong statement, together, we all reaffirmed the European perspective of the region and our desire to work towards progress on enlargement.
President Charles Michel after the EU-Western Balkans summit in Brdo pri Kranju

COP26 - stopping the war against nature

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Trees burn in a forest fire. The entire scene is lit red
President Charles Michel speaks from a podium. Behind him is a blue background reading "United Nations Climate Change".
Arid, cracked earth borders a small pool of water. Trees and bushes can be seen in the background.

01 November 2021

We, the human race, have started a war against nature; we, the human race, have caused the climate change that poses a serious threat to our security and the security of future generations.
President Charles Michel at the World Leaders Summit during the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, UK

Protecting our borders

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President Charles Michel looks out the window of a plane, wearing an FFP mask and big headphones.
A man from the Polish gendarmerie, dressed in fatigues and a yellow vest. He also wears a surgical mask and a red hat. There are trees in the background.
President Charles Michel speaks at a press conference. On the right is Mateusz Morawiecki, the Prime Minister of Poland. The EU and Polish flags are behind them.

23 November 2021

I expressed the Union’s full solidarity with Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. This is not only an attack on their borders; it is a hybrid attack on our common European borders and we condemn it. We will not allow the Belarusian regime to intimidate us and to undermine our values and our unity.
President Charles Michel at the European Parliament, following his visit to Poland on 10 November

International treaty on pandemics

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A logo with a light beige background. A white globe is in the centre of the image, and around it are icons depicting a blue mask, a stethoscope, a symbol representing the COVID-19 virus, and a white cross in a red circle.
President Charles Michel speaks into a microphone, with EU flags behind him.
A large room full of people sitting at rows of desks. At the far end of the room three groups of people are seated on a stage, with the logo of the World Health Organization in brown on the wall behind them.
The blue logo of the World Health Organization on an opaque white background. There is a building in the background.

29 November 2021

As we speak, the world faces yet another wave of COVID-19, a clear reminder of our duty to our citizens and to each other. It is our collective responsibility to never let another pandemic find us unprepared, uncoordinated or working in isolation from one another.
President Charles Michel speaking to the special session of the World Health Assembly, at the opening of the negotiations on the pandemic agreement
Visit the website of President Charles Michel

Photos/Credits

  1. Family photo at Europa Building at night during EUCO: European Union
  2. A drawer full of COVID-19 vaccines: AFP. Photographer: Wolfgang Kumm
  3. People in a vaccination center waiting room: AFP. Photographer: Pascal Bachelet
  4. Leaders talking in the plenary room: European Union
  5. Press Conference in Ukraine: European Union
  6. President Charles Michel talking to President Volodymyr Oleksandrovyč Zelens'ky: European Union
  7. President Charles Michel holds his arms out to a woman: European Union
  8. President Joe Biden (USA) approaches President Charles Michel and President von der Leyen: European Union
  9. President Charles Michel and President von der Leyen stand outside on a red carpet: European Union
  10. President Joe Biden sits at the roundtable: European Union
  11. A television screen showing an EU leaders’ video conference with US President Biden: European Union
  12. President Charles Michel during the presentation of his Commitment, at the Porto Social Summit: European Union
  13. President Charles Michel on stage: European Union
  14. A view of the city of Porto, Portugal: European Union
  15. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and President Charles Michel talking: European Union
  16. Overhead view of a round room: European Union
  17. President Charles Michel crouches outside on the steps to pet the Greek Prime Minister's dog: European Union
  18. President Michel and Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo: European Union
  19. President Charles Michel attends the Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa: European Union
  20. President Charles Michel walks on the red carpet: European Union
  21. President Charles Michel gets vaccinated at a vaccination center in Brussels: European Union
  22. A room in a vaccination center with three small tables: AFP. Photographer: DAVIDE PISCHETTOLA
  23. A woman from the French Red Cross in a vaccination center: AFP. Photographer: Pascal Bachelet
  24. President Charles Michel chats and laughs with other EU leaders: European Union
  25. President Charles Michel sits in the plenary: European Union
  26. Family photo with guests: European Union
  27. The leaders throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain: European Union
  28. A black van with a shattered window: AFP. Photographer: Mustafa Melih Ahishali
  29. In the centre of the photo a woman holds a baby in her arms: AFP. Photographer: Eyepress News
  30. President Charles Michel and President Ursula von der Leyen in a room: European Union
  31. Dozens of soldiers stand inside a plane, with US flags strung up on the walls and packs of water bottles on the ground: AFP. Photographer: Eyepress News
  32. President Charles Michel high-fives an Afghan child: European Union
  33. President Charles Michel addresses the 76th UN General Assembly's General Debate: European Union
  34. President Charles Michel sits for a discussion with the women at the Women In Conflicts event: European Union
  35. President Charles Michel and President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania greet each other by touching elbows: European Union
  36. President Charles Michel gives a speech from the stage at the front of the room: European Union
  37. President Charles Michel has his photo taken with six other guests of the Women in Conflicts event: European Union
  38. President Charles Michel addresses the Prime Minister of Slovenia, Janez Janša: European Union
  39. Leaders smile as they speak to each other: European Union
  40. President Charles Michel greets the Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas: European Union
  41. President Charles Michel talks to a row of journalists during doorsteps: European Union
  42. Trees burn in a forest fire: AFP. Photographer: Angelos Tzortzinis
  43. President Charles Michel speaks at the "United Nations Climate Change": European Union
  44. Arid, cracked earth borders a small pool of water: AFP. Photographer: Norberto Duarte
  45. President Charles Michel looks out the window of a plane: European Union
  46. A man from the Polish gendarmerie, dressed in fatigues and a yellow vest: AFP. Photographer: Abdulhamid Hosbas
  47. President Charles Michel speaks at a press conference: European Union
  48. A white globe is in the center of the image, and around it are icons depicting a blue mask, a stethoscope, a symbol representing the COVID-19 virus, and a white cross in a red circle: European Union
  49. President Charles Michel talking: European Union
  50. A large room full of people sitting at rows of desks: European Union
  51. The blue logo of the World Health Organization: AFP. Photographer: Fabrice Coffrini
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