Less than a year ago, the Sofagate caused a lot of ink to flow. On a visit to Turkey, the President of the European Commission had to sit on a sofa, away from Erdogan and Charles Michel, who had placed himself directly in the only seat provided by the Turkish President for the meet.
The story repeats itself. This Thursday, during the summit between the EU and the African Union in Brussels, a similar incident occurred. Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel, and Emmanuel Macron were gathered for a photo session with the representatives of the countries participating in the summit. As he takes the stage, Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa walks past the President of the European Commission, ignoring her, to go directly to shake hands with the President of the Council and the President of France, who holds the presidency. of the Council of the EU.
Charles Michel remained impassive. But after the photo session, Emmanuel Macron informed Sam Kutesa of the presence of Ursula von der Leyen, who then began a brief exchange with her, without shaking her hand.
The President of the Council had already been criticized during Sofagate in Turkey for his lack of reaction. He then expressed “his deep regret”. This time again, the canvas attacks him for the same reason.