The European Council (informally EUCO) is a collegiate body that defines the overall political direction and priorities of the European Union.[1]
Established as an informal summit in 1975, the European Council was formalised as an institution in 2009 upon the commencement of the Treaty of Lisbon. Its current president is Charles Michel, former Prime Minister of Belgium.
Membership edit
EUCO is composed of the heads of state or government of the EU member states, the President of the European Council, and the President of the European Commission.[1]
The membership of each member state depends on its political system. A member of the EUCO is usually the highest representative of the executive branch of government. Member states with presidential or semi-presidential system of government are represented by the head of state (president). Those countries are France, Romania, Cyprus and Lithuania. Other member states with parliamentary systems of government are represented by prime ministers.
Current members edit
| State | Member[2] | Affiliation[3] | Member since | Time as member | Elections | Next election | Share of population [a][4] | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 European Union |
.jpg) President of the European Council Charles Michel |
Renew – MR | 1 December 2019 | 9 years, 174 days[b] | 2022 2019 |
2024 | — | Non-voting member | |
| European Union |
_2019.07.16._Ursula_von_der_Leyen_presents_her_vision_to_MEPs_2_(cropped).jpg) President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen |
EPP – CDU | 1 December 2019 | 4 years, 158 days | 2019 | 2024 | — | Non-voting member | |
 Republic of Austria |
_(cropped)_(cropped).jpg) Chancellor Karl Nehammer |
EPP – ÖVP | 6 December 2021 | 2 years, 153 days | — | 2024 | 1.99% | Head of government | |
 Kingdom of Belgium |
._Arrivals_Alexander_De_Croo_(36766610160)_(cropped2).jpg) Prime Minister Alexander De Croo |
Renew – Open Vld | 1 October 2020 | 3 years, 219 days | 2019 | 2024 | 2.58% | Between January and June 2024, Alexander De Croo is the head of government of the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. | |
 Republic of Bulgaria |
.png) Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev |
Independent | 9 April 2024 | 28 days | — | 2024 | 1.55% | Head of government | |
 Republic of Croatia |
.jpg) Prime Minister Andrej Plenković |
EPP – HDZ | 19 October 2016 | 7 years, 201 days | 2020 2016 |
2024 | 0.90% | Head of government | |
 Republic of Cyprus |
 President Nikos Christodoulides |
Independent | 28 February 2023 | 1 year, 69 days | 2023 | 2028 | 0.20% | Head of state and head of government | |
 Czech Republic |
 Prime Minister Petr Fiala |
ECR – ODS | 17 December 2021 | 2 years, 142 days | 2021 | 2025 | 2.36% | Head of government | |
 Denmark |
_(cropped).jpg) Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen |
S&D – S | 27 June 2019 | 4 years, 315 days | 2022 2019 |
2026 | 1.30% | Head of government | |
 Republic of Estonia |
.jpg) Prime Minister Kaja Kallas |
Renew – ER | 26 January 2021 | 3 years, 102 days | 2023 | 2027 | 0.30% | Head of government | |
 Republic of Finland |
.jpg) Prime Minister Petteri Orpo |
EPP – Kok. | 20 June 2023 | 322 days | 2023 | 2027 | 1.24% | Head of government | |
 French Republic |
.jpg) President Emmanuel Macron |
Renew – RE | 14 May 2017 | 6 years, 359 days | 2022 2017 |
2027 | 15.07% | Head of state | |
 Federal Republic of Germany |
 Chancellor Olaf Scholz |
S&D – SPD | 8 December 2021 | 2 years, 151 days | 2021 | 2025 | 18.57% | Head of government | |
 Hellenic Republic |
_(cropped).jpg) Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis |
EPP – ND | 26 June 2023 | 4 years, 271 days[c] | 2023 (Jun) 2023 (May) 2019 |
2027 | 2.39% | Head of government | |
 Hungary |
 Prime Minister Viktor Orbán |
Una. – Fidesz | 29 May 2010 | 13 years, 344 days | 2022 2018 2014 2010 |
2026 | 2.17% | Head of government | |
 Ireland |
.jpg) Taoiseach Simon Harris |
EPP – FG | 9 April 2024 | 28 days | — | 2025 | 1.12% | Head of government | |
 Italian Republic |
 Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni |
ECR – FdI | 22 October 2022 | 1 year, 198 days | 2022 | 2027 | 13.38% | Head of government | |
 Republic of Latvia |
.jpg) Prime Minister Evika Siliņa |
EPP – V | 15 September 2023 | 235 days | — | 2026 | 0.42% | Head of government Siliņa became Prime Minister without a new parliamentary election after the resignation of Krišjānis Kariņš. | |
 Republic of Lithuania |
 President Gitanas Nausėda |
Independent | 12 July 2019 | 4 years, 300 days | 2019 | 2024 | 0.62% | Head of state | |
 Grand Duchy of Luxembourg |
.jpg) Prime Minister Luc Frieden |
EPP – CSV | 17 November 2023 | 172 days | 2023 | 2028 | 0.14% | Head of government | |
 Republic of Malta |
.jpg) Prime Minister Robert Abela |
S&D – PL | 13 January 2020 | 4 years, 115 days | 2022 | 2027 | 0.12% | Head of government | |
 Netherlands |
.jpg) Prime Minister Mark Rutte |
Renew – VVD | 14 October 2010 | 13 years, 206 days | 2023 2021 2017 2012 2010 |
2027 | 3.94% | Head of government | |
 Republic of Poland |
_(cropped2).jpg) Prime Minister Donald Tusk |
EPP – PO | 13 December 2023 | 12 years, 90 days[d] | 2023 | 2027 | 8.45% | Head of government | |
 Portuguese Republic |
 Prime Minister Luís Montenegro |
EPP – PSD | 2 April 2024 | 35 days | 2024 | 2028 | 2.30% | Head of government | |
 Romania |
.JPG) President Klaus Iohannis |
EPP – PNL | 21 December 2014 | 9 years, 138 days | 2019 2014 |
2024 | 4.29% | Head of state Membership in PNL is formally suspended while in office. Klaus Iohannis, however, still regularly attends EPP pre-European Council meetings.[3] | |
 Slovak Republic |
 Prime Minister Robert Fico |
Una. – Smer–SD | 25 October 2023 | 10 years, 186 days[e] | 2023 | 2027 | 1.22% | Head of government | |
 Republic of Slovenia |
.jpg) Prime Minister Robert Golob |
Renew – GS | 1 June 2022 | 1 year, 341 days | 2022 | 2026 | 0.47% | Head of government | |
 Kingdom of Spain |
.jpg) Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez |
S&D – PSOE | 2 June 2018 | 5 years, 340 days | 2023 2019 (Nov) 2019 (Apr) 2016 |
2027 | 10.59% | Head of government | |
 Kingdom of Sweden |
.jpg) Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson |
EPP – M | 18 October 2022 | 1 year, 202 days | 2022 | 2026 | 2.32% | Head of government | |
Timeline of membership edit
Longest-serving members of the European Council edit
Below is a list of leaders who have been members of the European Council for more than 10 years:
| # | Member | Position | State | Membership | Last affiliation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jean-Claude Juncker | Prime Minister |  Luxembourg
|
January 20, 1995 – December 4, 2013 | 18 years, 318 days | EPP | |
| Commission President |  European Union
|
November 1, 2014 – November 20, 2019 | 5 years, 29 days | ||||
| 23 years, 337 days | |||||||
| 2 | Helmut Kohl | Chancellor |  Germany
|
October 1, 1982 – October 27, 1998 | 16 years, 26 days | EPP | |
| 3 | Angela Merkel | Chancellor | Germany
|
November 22, 2005 – December 8, 2021 | 16 years, 16 days | EPP | |
| 4 | Jacques Santer | Prime Minister | Luxembourg
|
July 20, 1984 – January 26, 1995 | 10 years, 190 days | EPP | |
| Commission President | European Union
|
January 25, 1995 – March 15, 1999 | 4 years, 49 days | ||||
| 14 years, 238 days | |||||||
| 5 | François Mitterrand | President |  France
|
May 21, 1981 – May 17, 1995 | 13 years, 361 days | S&D | |
| 6 | Viktor Orbán | Prime Minister |  Hungary
|
May 29, 2010 – present | 13 years, 344 days | Una. | |
| 7 | Mark Rutte | Prime Minister |  Netherlands
|
October 14, 2010 – present | 13 years, 206 days | Renew | |
| 8 | Wilfried Martens | Prime Minister |  Belgium
|
March 3, 1979 – April 6, 1981 | 2 years, 34 days | EPP | |
| December 17, 1981 – March 7, 1992 | 10 years, 81 days | ||||||
| 12 years, 115 days | |||||||
| 9 | José Manuel Barroso | Prime Minister |  Portugal
|
April 6, 2002 – July 17, 2004 | 2 years, 133 days | EPP | |
| Commission President | European Union
|
November 22, 2004 – October 31, 2014 | 9 years, 343 days | ||||
| 12 years, 111 days | |||||||
| 10 | Donald Tusk | Prime Minister |  Poland
|
November 16, 2007 – September 22, 2014 | 6 years, 310 days | EPP | |
| Council President | European Union
|
December 1, 2014 – November 30, 2019 | 4 years, 364 days | ||||
| Prime Minister | Poland
|
December 13, 2023 – present | 146 days | ||||
| 12 years, 90 days | |||||||
| 11 | Jacques Chirac | President | France
|
May 17, 1995 – May 16, 2007 | 11 years, 364 days | EPP | |
| 12 | Ruud Lubbers | Prime Minister | Netherlands
|
November 4, 1982 – August 22, 1994 | 11 years, 291 days | EPP | |
| 13 | Margaret Thatcher | Prime Minister |  United Kingdom
|
May 4, 1979 – November 28, 1990 | 11 years, 208 days | ECR | |
| 14 | Bertie Ahern | Taoiseach |  Ireland
|
June 26, 1997 – May 7, 2008 | 10 years, 316 days | ECR | |
| 15 | Göran Persson | Prime Minister |  Sweden
|
March 22, 1996 – October 6, 2006 | 10 years, 198 days | S&D | |
| 16 | Robert Fico | Prime Minister |  Slovakia
|
July 4, 2006 – July 8, 2010 | 4 years, 4 days | Una. | |
| April 4, 2012 – March 22, 2018 | 5 years, 352 days | ||||||
| October 25, 2023 – present | 195 days | ||||||
| 10 years, 186 days | |||||||
| 17 | Poul Schlüter | Prime Minister |  Denmark
|
September 10, 1982 – January 25, 1993 | 10 years, 137 days | EPP | |
| 18 | Felipe González | Prime Minister |  Spain
|
January 1, 1986 – May 5, 1996 | 10 years, 125 days | S&D | |
| 19 | Tony Blair | Prime Minister | United Kingdom
|
May 2, 1997 – June 27, 2007 | 10 years, 56 days | S&D | |
| 20 | Jacques Delors | Commission President | European Union
|
January 7, 1985 – January 24, 1995 | 10 years, 17 days | S&D | |
See also edit
Notes edit
- ^ Used for qualified majority voting in the Council.
- ^ Michel had already been a member of the Council from October 2014 to October 2019 as Prime Minister of Belgium.
- ^ Mitsotakis had already been Prime Minister, and therefore a member of the Council, from July 2019 to May 2023.
- ^ Tusk had already been a member of the Council from November 2007 to September 2014 as Prime Minister, and from December 2014 to November 2019 as its President.
- ^ Fico had already been Prime Minister, and therefore a member of the Council, from July 2006 to July 2010 and from April 2012 to March 2018.
References edit
- ^ a b "Consolidated versions of the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
- ^ "Members of the European Council". www.consilium.europa.eu. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ a b "Current membership of the European Council". Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ Council Decision (EU, Euratom) 2021/2320 of 22 December 2021 amending the Council’s Rules of Procedure (Decision 2021/2320). Council of the European Union. 22 December 2021.