President of the European Council

President of the European Council

The President of the European Council is the individual who chairs and drives forward the work of the European Council, the body comprising the heads of state or government of the European Union member states. Elected by the members of the European Council itself, the president organizes and leads its meetings, seeking consensus on the EU's broad political directions and priorities. The position, established by the Treaty of Lisbon, represents the Union externally on matters concerning its common foreign and security policy, working in close coordination with other key EU figures.

History and establishment

The role was formally created in 2009 with the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, which aimed to provide greater continuity and leadership to the European Council's work. Prior to this, the presidency of the European Council rotated among member states every six months, a system that often led to a lack of strategic coherence. The impetus for a permanent president grew from debates during the European Convention and the subsequent Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, whose provisions were largely incorporated into the Lisbon Treaty. The first election under the new rules was held in November 2009, with Herman Van Rompuy becoming the inaugural full-term president, succeeding the final rotating presidency held by Sweden.

Election and term

The president is elected by a qualified majority vote of the members of the European Council for a term of two and a half years, renewable once. The election process is governed by Article 15 of the Treaty on European Union. Candidates are typically seasoned statespersons with significant experience at the highest levels of national or European politics. The role is deliberately distinct from the leadership of the European Commission, ensuring a separation between the Union's executive arm and the institution setting its general political agenda. The president must report to the European Parliament after each meeting of the European Council, a practice that underscores a degree of parliamentary accountability.

Powers and duties

The president's primary duty is to chair the European Council and prepare its work in cooperation with the President of the European Commission and based on the work of the General Affairs Council. A key function is to facilitate cohesion and consensus within the European Council, a task requiring extensive diplomatic skill, especially during crises such as the European debt crisis or the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. Externally, the president represents the EU in foreign policy at his or her level, without prejudice to the powers of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The president also signs major international agreements on behalf of the Union and ensures the external representation of its common foreign and security policy alongside other EU leaders.

List of presidents

The position has been held by four individuals to date. Herman Van Rompuy, former Prime Minister of Belgium, served from December 2009 to November 2014. He was succeeded by Donald Tusk, the former Prime Minister of Poland, who held the office until December 2019. The third president, Charles Michel, another former Prime Minister of Belgium, began his term in December 2019 and was re-elected for a second term starting in June 2022. The presidency's evolution has seen its occupants play central roles in managing significant EU events, from the Brexit negotiations to the Union's response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Relationship with other EU institutions

The president works in a complex, triangular relationship with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Parliament, often referred to as the "institutional triangle." Coordination with the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy is also crucial in external affairs. While the president chairs the European Council, the European Commission, led by its president such as Ursula von der Leyen, retains the sole right of legislative initiative. The president also maintains a direct link to national leaders, a role distinct from the more supranational perspective of the Commission, and regularly engages with the Council of the European Union and its various configurations, including the Foreign Affairs Council.

Category:European Union