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| President of the European Parliament | |
|---|---|
| Post | President of the European Parliament |
| Appointer | European Parliament |
| Termlength | Two-and-a-half years (renewable) |
| Formation | 1952 (Common Assembly), 1958 (European Parliament) |
| First | Paul-Henri Spaak |
President of the European Parliament is the presiding officer and public representative of the directly elected European Parliament, a key institution of the European Union created by the Treaty of Rome and reformed by the Maastricht Treaty and Lisbon Treaty. The office chairs plenary sittings, oversees administrative functions, and speaks for the Parliament in relations with the European Council, the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, national parliaments such as the Bundestag and the Assemblée nationale, and international organizations including the United Nations and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.
The President presides over plenary sessions, enforces the Rules of Procedure adopted by the European Parliament, and ensures the orderly conduct of debates, votes, and signatures of legislative acts such as directives, regulations, and decisions stemming from the Ordinary Legislative Procedure and the Consent Procedure. They represent the Parliament externally in inter-institutional forums like the Conference of Presidents and during trilogues involving the European Commission and the Council of the European Union. In ceremonial contexts the President signs instruments including the ratification of treaties such as the Treaty of Lisbon and the Treaty of Nice, and receives credentials of foreign envoys accredited to the European Union.
The President is elected by members of the European Parliament (MEPs) during the first part-session following European elections, under the auspices of the Composition of the European Parliament and political groups like the European People's Party, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, the Renew Europe Group, the Greens–European Free Alliance, and the Identity and Democracy Party. The term is two-and-a-half years — half the five-year parliamentary term established by the European Parliament election cycle — and the office may be renewed. Voting follows the Rules of Procedure with secret ballots and absolute or relative majority requirements; candidates have often emerged from cross-party agreements such as the "grand coalition" arrangements resembling negotiations seen in national parliaments like the Storting and the Sejm.
The President signs, announces and promulgates legislative acts adopted by the Parliament and authorizes the Parliament's budgetary signatures in conjunction with the Council of the European Union and the European Commission. They propose the composition of administrative bodies such as the Parliament's Bureau and chairs the Conference of Presidents which sets the agenda and organizes committee work including Committees on Foreign Affairs, Internal Market and Consumer Protection, and Budgetary Control. The President represents the Parliament in external relations with heads of state and government from the European Council and leaders from third countries such as the United States, China, Russia, and Japan, and appears before interparliamentary assemblies including the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Under EU protocol, the President ranks after heads of state and heads of government during joint events, and has precedence in plenary over vice-presidents and committee chairs such as the Chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs. The office receives a salary determined by MEP remuneration rules linked to salaries in national parliaments and indexed according to regulations set by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. Benefits include official transport and representation allowances, use of the Parliament's facilities in Strasbourg and Brussels, and diplomatic privileges when on official missions, analogous to privileges extended to envoys accredited to the European External Action Service.
Since the origins in the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community and the first full Parliaments post-Treaty of Rome, the office has been held by figures from a range of member states and political groups. Notable early holders include Paul-Henri Spaak and presidents from countries such as France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom (pre-Brexit), Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Greece and Sweden. The list reflects the enlargement rounds of the European Community and later the European Union including accession of states from the Eastern Enlargement of 2004 and subsequent treaties.
Certain presidencies attracted attention: presidencies presiding over treaty negotiations such as the Treaty of Nice and the Treaty of Lisbon or during crises like the European sovereign debt crisis or the COVID-19 pandemic became focal points for disputes over institutional balance, transparency and mandate. Controversies have involved voting procedures, interpretation of parliamentary immunity, and the President's role in appointing committee chairs, echoing debates seen in national controversies such as the ECHR rulings and the European Court of Justice opinions. High-profile clashes with Commissioners from the European Commission or with leaders of the European Council have shaped public perceptions and institutional reform campaigns.
The President acts as a principal interlocutor with Presidents of the European Commission (e.g. José Manuel Barroso, Ursula von der Leyen), Presidents of the European Council (e.g. Herman Van Rompuy, Charles Michel), and leaders of the Council of the European Union and national parliaments. They coordinate inter-institutional dialogue in formats including interparliamentary conferences, collegial trilogues, and hearings for Commissioners-designate such as Margrethe Vestager and Věra Jourová. Relations with judicial bodies like the Court of Justice of the European Union and agencies such as the European Central Bank are mediated through formal consultations, joint declarations, and the President's role in defending parliamentary prerogatives.