Ursula von der Leyen did not digest the Ankara incident, Charles Michel is having a bad time<

The President of the European Commission still seems to have not digested the Ankara incident. Invited this Monday by the European Parliament, as well as the President of the European Council Charles Michel, to discuss the results of their joint visit to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ursula von der Leyen returned to Sofagate. The what ? Recall of facts ; on April 6, when the presidents of the European institutions entered the room where the meeting with Mr. Erdogan was to be held, it appeared that the Turkish host had only provided two chairs, not three. Ursula von der Leyen took her place on the sofa, not without having expressed her astonishment, mixed with a perceptible annoyance. And still not dissipated. "I am the first female President of the Commission […] And this is how I expected to be treated in Turkey, two weeks ago, as the President of the Commission, but it was not the case", recalled the German, in a tone that was not that of a joke. "I cannot find in the treaties any justification for the way I was treated. I have to conclude that it is because I am a woman. Would this have happened if I had worn a suit and a tie ?" Ursula von der Leyen admitted to feeling "hurt and alone, as a woman and as a European", saying she was sure that the deputies must know this feeling well. She then delivered an energetic plea for the respect of women's rights, in Turkey, but also in the European institutions.

Ursula von der Leyen sidelined in Turkey.

Before Ursula von der Leyen's intervention, Charles Michel had the opportunity to reiterate how sorry he was by what happened in Ankara. “I have on several occasions publicly expressed my regret for the situation that has been created […] vis-à-vis the President of the Commission and those who have been offended,” he said. He recalled that the misfortune had happened because the protocol services of the European Council had not been able to see the room beforehand and that that of the Commission had not made the trip (yes, it is a veiled reproach) . And if the Belgian did not react at the time, it was, he defends, to avoid creating "a political incident that I thought was even more serious which would have taken the risk of ruining months of preparation [… ] by all the European teams.

The President of the European Council "considers that the images may have made many other women feel offended" but assured MEPs of "[his] total, complete and absolute commitment to supporting women and equality genres". In Turkey, but also on the European scene. And Charles Michel to promise to "try to mobilize the Member States" to unblock the proposal for a directive on gender balance in the boards of directors of companies listed on the stock exchange, but also on the question of equal pay . He said he was still ready to examine the proposal to create a formation of the Council of Ministers of the EU, dedicated to gender equality. These announcements did not spare him from having an unpleasant time in the hemicycle, where many speakers and speakers criticized his attitude in Ankara unceremoniously.

It is assumed that the three institutions have now had the opportunity to say everything in their hearts on this subject and that they will find that it is no longer necessary to wash their dirty laundry in public.