Costa, by contrast, has a seemingly warm relationship with von der Leyen, with whom he bonded when Portugal held the rotating presidency of the Council of Europe in 2021. The former Portuguese prime minister said he had worked closely with von der Leyen on policies aimed at dealing with the Covid crisis and the rollout of the EU’s recovery plan, and that since September their teams had been preparing the “coordinated and harmonious” rollout of the new political term.
Costa’s selection as Council president represents a reversal of fortune for a politician whom many wrote off just one year ago, when he was forced to step down as Portuguese prime minister in the wake of an influence-peddling scandal.
Costa was named as the subject of an official investigation related to the affair. But in the 12 months that have elapsed since then, no legal charges have been filed against him, and it’s widely expected that the probe will be dropped.
The president-elect said the episode had been “sad,” but that it was important to let the justice system do its work. The affair doesn’t appear to have done long-term damage to his prestige in Brussels, where European leaders and officials are palpably excited about him.
That may say more about their eagerness to finally be rid of Michel, who will be remembered as a self-obsessed Council president with a tendency to disrupt summits and grandstand abroad.
“We expect a lot from Costa and his team,” said one senior EU diplomat. “But, of course, the bar is so low.”
Barbara Moens contributed reporting.
