BRUSSELS ― Frédéric Bernard, the head of cabinet of former European Council President Charles Michel, is to become Belgian ambassador to the United States, according to two Belgian officials.
As chief of staff and sherpa to Michel since 2020, Bernard had a key role in preparing and helping to run European Council meetings ― the gatherings of national leaders. Before that, he worked for Michel when he was Belgium’s prime minister.
The Belgian diplomat had been in the running for several jobs in the EU, including the bloc’s envoy to Canada (which went to the former chief of staff of another Belgian, Didier Reynders) and in the Council of the EU, which represents national governments.
The post in Washington had been allocated to Jan Hoogmartens, chief of staff to former Belgian foreign minister Hadja Lahbib. But Hoogmartens decided to stay on with Lahbib when she was put forward as European Commissioner, paving the way for Bernard.
Bernard’s posting, which was circulated among Belgian diplomats on Tuesday, was first reported by Belgian newspaper De Standaard.