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President of the European Commission

 
President of the European Commission

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President of the European Commission



 
 
The President of the European Commission is the most powerful office in the European Union
European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European Union member state, located primarily in Europe. It was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community....
, as the head of the European Commission
European Commission

The European Commission is the executive of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Treaties of the European Union and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
, the executive branch of the European Union
European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European Union member state, located primarily in Europe. It was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community....
. The President is responsible for allocating portfolios to members of the Commission and can reshuffle or fire them if needed. He determines the Commission's policy agenda and all the legislative proposals it produces (it is only body that can propose Community law).

The post was established in 1957 and is appointed by the European Council
European Council

The European Council is the highest political body of the European Union. It comprises the head of state head of government of the Union's European Union member state along with the President of the European Commission....
 and European Parliament
European Parliament

The European Parliament is the only direct election parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union , it forms the bicameral Institutions of the European Union#Legislature of the Institutions of the European Union and has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world....
 for five year terms. Once elected, he, along with his Commission, is responsible to Parliament which can censure him.






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The President of the European Commission is the most powerful office in the European Union
European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European Union member state, located primarily in Europe. It was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community....
, as the head of the European Commission
European Commission

The European Commission is the executive of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Treaties of the European Union and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
, the executive branch of the European Union
European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European Union member state, located primarily in Europe. It was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community....
. The President is responsible for allocating portfolios to members of the Commission and can reshuffle or fire them if needed. He determines the Commission's policy agenda and all the legislative proposals it produces (it is only body that can propose Community law).

The post was established in 1957 and is appointed by the European Council
European Council

The European Council is the highest political body of the European Union. It comprises the head of state head of government of the Union's European Union member state along with the President of the European Commission....
 and European Parliament
European Parliament

The European Parliament is the only direct election parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union , it forms the bicameral Institutions of the European Union#Legislature of the Institutions of the European Union and has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world....
 for five year terms. Once elected, he, along with his Commission, is responsible to Parliament which can censure him. The current President is José Manuel Barroso, who took office in October 2004. He is a member of the European People's Party
European People's Party

The European People's Party is a Christian Democracy, Liberal conservatism and Conservatism European political party. Founded in 1976, the EPP has 72 member-parties from 39 countries, 12 EU and 6 non-EU heads of government, 10 European Commissioners , and the largest group in the European Parliament with 288 members....
 and is the former Prime Minister of Portugal. Barroso is the eleventh President and has a mandate until the end of 2009.

History

The President of the European Commission was established in 1957 with the European Commission. Previously it was merely a post of first among equals
First Among Equals

'First Among Equals' is a 1984 novel by United Kingdom author Jeffrey Archer, that follows the careers and personal lives of four British politicians from 1964 to 1991, each vying to become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom....
 but had an increasing impact on the Community. Under Jacques Delors
Jacques Delors

Jacques Lucien Jean Delors is a French economist and politician, the only person to have served two terms as President of the European Commission ....
 it became increasingly presidential in style and now is the dominant force in the Commission, although curbed by crises such as the resignation of the Santer Commission
Santer Commission

The Santer Commission was the European Commission in office between 23 January 1995 and 15 March 1999. The administration was led by Jacques Santer ....
.

Establishment

Before the establishment of the present European Commission, there was the High Authority
European Coal and Steel Community

The European Coal and Steel Community was a six-nation international organisation serving to unify Western Europe during the Cold War and creating the foundation for European democracy and the modern-day developments of the European Union....
 of the European Coal and Steel Community
European Coal and Steel Community

The European Coal and Steel Community was a six-nation international organisation serving to unify Western Europe during the Cold War and creating the foundation for European democracy and the modern-day developments of the European Union....
. In 1957 the present Commission was established by the Treaty of Rome
Treaty of Rome

The Treaties of Rome are two of the treaties of the European Union signed on March 25 1957. Both treaties were signed by Inner Six: Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany....
, and it also replaced the High Authority and the Commission of Euratom in 1967. The Commission's first president was Walter Hallstein
Walter Hallstein

Walter Hallstein was a Germany politician and professor.He was one of the key figures of European integration after World War II, becoming the first president of the European Commission of the European Commission....
 (see Hallstein Commission
Hallstein Commission

The Hallstein Commission is the European Commission that held office from January 7 1958 to 20 June 1967. Its President was Walter Hallstein and held two separate mandates....
) who's started consolidating European law and began to impact on national legislation. National governments took little heed of his administration at first with the President having to stamp the Commission's authority early on. With the aid of the European Court of Justice
European Court of Justice

The Court of Justice of the European Communities, usually called the European Court of Justice , is the Supreme court of the European Union ....
 the Commission began to be taken more seriously.

In 1965 Hallstein put forward his proposals for the Common Agricultural Policy
Common Agricultural Policy

The Common Agricultural Policy is a system of European Union agricultural subsidies and programmes. It represents 46.7% of the European Union Budget, ?49.8 billion in 2006 ....
, which would give the Community its own financial resources while giving more power to the Commission and Parliament and removing the veto power over Agriculture in the Council. These proposals led to an immediate backlash from France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
. Hallstein knew the proposals would be contentious, and took personal charge of drafting them, overriding the Agriculture Commissioner. However he did gain the support of Parliament though his proposals to increase its powers, and he also presented his policy to Parliament a week before he submitted them to the Council. He aimed to demonstrate how he though the Community ought to be run, in the hopes of generating a wave of pro-Europeanism big enough to get past the objections of member states. However in this it proved that, despite its past successes, Hallstein was overconfident in his risky proposals.

In reaction to Hallstein's proposals and actions, then-French President, Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle

Charles Andr? Joseph Marie de Gaulle , , was a French people general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President of France from 1959 to 1969....
, who was sceptical of the rising supranational power of the Commission, accused Hallstein of acting as if he were a head of state
Head of State

Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchic or republican nation-state, federation, commonwealth or any other political state....
. France eventually withdrew its representative from the Council, triggering the notorious "empty chair crisis". Although this was resolved under the "Luxembourg compromise
Luxembourg compromise

The Luxembourg compromise or Luxembourg Accords was an agreement reached in January 1966 which resolved differences within the European Economic Community....
", Hallstein became the scapegoat for the crisis. The Council refused to renew his term, despite being the most 'dynamic' leader until Jacques Delors
Jacques Delors

Jacques Lucien Jean Delors is a French economist and politician, the only person to have served two terms as President of the European Commission ....
.

1967-85

Hallstein's work did enable the Commission to be a real player. During the 1970s the Presidents were involved in the major political projects of the day, such as the European Monetary Union
Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union

In economics, a monetary union is a situation where several countries have agreed to share a single currency amongst themselves. The European Economic and Monetary Union consists of three stages coordinating economic policy and culminating with the adoption of the euro, the EU's single currency....
. In 1970, President Jean Rey
Jean Rey

See:*Jean Rey , French physician and chemist*Jean Rey , Belgian Liberal politician*Jean Rey , French swimmer...
 secured the Community's own financial resources and in 1977, President Roy Jenkins
Roy Jenkins

Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead Order of Merit Privy Council of the United Kingdom was a British politician. Once prominent as a Labour Party Member of Parliament and government minister in the 1960s and 1970s, he became the first British President of the European Commission and one of the four principal founders of the So...
 became the first Commission President to attend a G7
G8

The Group of Eight is a forum for governments of eight nations of the northern hemisphere: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States; in addition, the European Union is represented within the G8, but cannot host or chair....
 summit on behalf of the Community.

However due to problems such as the 1973 oil crisis
1973 oil crisis

The 1973 oil crisis started on October 15, 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo "in response to the U.S....
 and the 1979 energy crisis
1979 energy crisis

The 1979 oil crisis in the United States occurred in the wake of the Iranian Revolution. Amid massive protests, the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, fled his country in early 1979, allowing Ayatollah Khomeini to gain control....
, economic hardship put the European ideal on the back burner, with only the President trying to keep the idea alive. The member states had the upper hand and they created the European Council
European Council

The European Council is the highest political body of the European Union. It comprises the head of state head of government of the Union's European Union member state along with the President of the European Commission....
 to discuss topical problems, yet the Council was unable to keep the major projects on track such as the Common Agricultural Policy
Common Agricultural Policy

The Common Agricultural Policy is a system of European Union agricultural subsidies and programmes. It represents 46.7% of the European Union Budget, ?49.8 billion in 2006 ....
. The Community entered a period of eurosclerosis
Eurosclerosis

Eurosclerosis is a term coined in the 1980s to describe a European economic pattern of high unemployment and slow job creation in spite of overall economic growth....
 due to economic difficulties and disagreements on the Community budget, and by the Thorn Commission
Thorn Commission

The Thorn Commission was the European Commission that held office from 6 January 1981 until 5 January, 1985. Its President of the European Commission was Gaston Thorn....
 the President was unable to exert his influence to any significant extent.

Presidentialism

However the Commission began to recover under President Jacques Delors
Jacques Delors

Jacques Lucien Jean Delors is a French economist and politician, the only person to have served two terms as President of the European Commission ....
' Commission
Delors Commission

The Delors Commission was the administration of Jacques Delors, the 8th President of the European Commission, over the Commission of the European Communities ....
. He is seen as the most successful President, being credited with giving the Community a sense of direction and dynamism. The International Herald Tribune
International Herald Tribune

The International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. It combines the resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times and is printed at 33 sites throughout the world, for sale in more than 180 countries....
 noted the work of Delors at the end of his second term in 1992: "Mr. Delors rescued the European Community from the doldrums. He arrived when Europessimism was at its worst. Although he was a little-known former French finance minister, he breathed life and hope into the EC and into the dispirited Brussels Commission. In his first term, from 1985 to 1988, he rallied Europe to the call of the single market, and when appointed to a second term he began urging Europeans toward the far more ambitious goals of economic, monetary and political union."

But Delors not only turned the Community around, he signalled a change in the Presidency. Before he came to power the Commission President still a position of first among equals
First Among Equals

'First Among Equals' is a 1984 novel by United Kingdom author Jeffrey Archer, that follows the careers and personal lives of four British politicians from 1964 to 1991, each vying to become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom....
, when he left office he was the undisputed icon and leader of the Community. His tenure had produced a strong Presidency and a strong Commission as the President became more important. Following treaties cemented this change, with the President being given control over the allocation of portfolios and being able to force the resignation of Commissioners. When President Romano Prodi
Romano Prodi

is an Politics of Italy and statesman. He served as President of the Council of Ministers of Italy of Italy twice, from 17 May 1996 to 21 October 1998 and from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008....
 took office with the new powers of the Treaty of Amsterdam, he was dubbed by the press as Europe's first Prime Minister
Prime minister

A prime minister is the most senior minister of Cabinet in the Executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. The position is usually held by, but need not always be held by, a politician....
. President Delors' work had increased the powers of Parliament, whose support he had enjoyed. However, later Commissions did not enjoy the same support and in 1999 parliament used its powers to force the Santer Commission
Santer Commission

The Santer Commission was the European Commission in office between 23 January 1995 and 15 March 1999. The administration was led by Jacques Santer ....
 was forced to resign.

Parliamentary oversight

Historically, the Council appointed the Commission President and the whole body by unanimity without input from Parliament. However with the Community was replaced with the European Union in 1993, Parliament gained the right to be 'consulted' on the appointment of the President and to veto the Commission as a whole. Parliament decided to interpret its right to be consulted as a right to veto the President, which the Council reluctantly accepted This right of veto was formalised in the Amsterdam Treaty
Amsterdam Treaty

The Treaty of Amsterdam amending the Treaty of the European Union, the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related acts, commonly known as the Amsterdam Treaty, was signed on 2 October 1997, and entered into force on 1 May 1999; it made substantial changes to the Treaty on European Union, which had been signed at...
. The Treaty of Nice
Treaty of Nice

The Nice Treaty was signed by European leaders on 26 February, 2001 and came into force on 1 February 2003. It amended the Maastricht Treaty and the Treaty of Rome ....
 changed the Council's vote from a unanimous choice to one that merely needed a qualified majority
Voting in the Council of the European Union

The procedures for Voting in the Council of the European Union are described in the treaties of the EU. The Council of the European Union was instituted under this name in the Maastricht Treaty....
. This meant that the weight of the Parliament in the process increased resulting in a quasi-parliamentary system
Parliamentary system

Parliamentary systems are characterized by no clear-cut separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches, leading to a different set of checks and balances compared to those found in presidential systems....
 where one group could be 'in government'. This became evident in 2004 when numerous candidates were put forward and a centre-right vote won out over left wing groups and France & Germany. Barroso was then forced to back down over his choice of Commissioners due to Parliament's threat that it would not approve his Commission.

Appointment

Article 214 of the Treaty on European Union
Maastricht Treaty

The Maastricht Treaty was signed on 7 February 1992 in Maastricht, the Netherlands after final negotiations on December 9, 1991 between the members of the European Community and entered into force on 1 November 1993 during the Delors Commission....
, as amended by the Treaty of Nice
Treaty of Nice

The Nice Treaty was signed by European leaders on 26 February, 2001 and came into force on 1 February 2003. It amended the Maastricht Treaty and the Treaty of Rome ....
, lays out the procedure for appointing the President and his team. The Council (as the European Council
European Council

The European Council is the highest political body of the European Union. It comprises the head of state head of government of the Union's European Union member state along with the President of the European Commission....
) vote by qualified majority for a nominee for the post of President. This proposal is then put before Parliament which must the approve or veto the appointment. The President then, together with the Council, puts forward his team to the Parliament to be scrutinised. The Parliament then votes on the Commission as a whole and, if approved, the Council appoints the President and his team to office.

Transparency

Qualified majority in the Council has led to more candidates being fielded while there has been greater politicisation due to the involvement of Parliament and the change of policy direction in the EU from the creation of the single market
Single market

A common market is a customs union with common policies on product regulation, and freedom of movement of the factors of production and of capitalism....
 to reform of it. However despite this, the choice within the Council remains largely behind closed doors. During the appointment of Santer, discussions were kept in private with the media relying on insider leaks. MEPs were angry with the process, against the spirit of consultation that the new EU treaty brought in. Pauline Green
Pauline Green

Dame Pauline Green DBE is a former Labour Party and Co-operative Party Member of the European Parliament and former Leader of the Parliamentary Group of the Party of European Socialists....
 MEP, leader of the Socialist group
Party of European Socialists

The Party of European Socialists is a European political party comprising of thirty-three Socialism, Social democracy and labour movement parties from each European Union member state and other European nations such as Norway....
, stated that her group thought "Parliament should refuse to condone a practice which so sullies the democratic process". There was similar deals in 1999 and 2004 saw a repeat of Santer's appointment when Barroso was appointed through a series of secret meetings between leaders with no press released on the negotiations being released. This was sharply criticised by MEPs such as the liberal group leader Graham Watson
Graham Watson

Graham Watson Member of the European Parliament is a European Union politician from the United Kingdom. He has served as a Member of the European Parliament for South West England since 1994 and leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe since 2002....
 who described the procedure as a "Justus Lipsius
Justus Lipsius building

The Justus Lipsius building has been the headquarters of the Council of the European Union since 1995. Located in Brussels on the Wetstraat/Rue de la Loi it is in the heart of the Brussels and the European Union#European quarter, opposite the Berlaymont building, the headquarters of the European Commission....
 carpet market" producing only the "lowest common denominator"; while Green-EFA
European Greens–European Free Alliance

The European Greens European Free Alliance is one of the parliamentary groups in the European Parliament.This group consists of two distinct European political party - the European Green Party and the European Free Alliance ....
 co-leader Daniel Cohn-Bendit
Daniel Cohn-Bendit

Daniel Marc Cohn-Bendit is a France-Germany politician and was a student leader during the unrest of May 1968 in France. He was also known during that time as Dany le Rouge ....
 asked Barroso after his first speech "If you are the best candidate, why were you not the first?"

Criteria

The candidate selected by the Council has often been a leading national politician but this is not a requirement. In 2004, the proposed European Constitution and now the Treaty of Lisbon
Treaty of Lisbon

The Treaty of Lisbon of 1668 was a peace treaty between Portugal and Spain, concluded at Lisbon, February 13, 1668, by the mediation of England, in which Spain recognized Portuguese independence....
 included a provision that the choice of President must take into account the latest Parliamentary elections
Elections in the European Union

Elections in the European Union take place every five years by universal suffrage. 785 Member of the European Parliament are elected to the European Parliament which has been directly elected since 1979....
. That provision was not in force in the nomination in 2004, but the centre-right parties of the EU pressured for a candidate from their own ranks. In the end, a right-wing candidate was chosen: José Manuel Barroso of the European People's Party
European People's Party

The European People's Party is a Christian Democracy, Liberal conservatism and Conservatism European political party. Founded in 1976, the EPP has 72 member-parties from 39 countries, 12 EU and 6 non-EU heads of government, 10 European Commissioners , and the largest group in the European Parliament with 288 members....
.

Further criteria seen to be influencing the choice of the Council include: which area of Europe the candidate comes from, favoured as Southern Europe in 2004; the candidate's political influence, credible yet not overpowering members; language, proficiency in French
French language

French is a Romance language spoken around the world by around 80 million people as first language, by 190 million as second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired tongue, with significant speakers in 54 countries....
 considered necessary by France; and degree of integration, their state being a member of both the eurozone
Eurozone

The Eurozone is a currency union of 16 Member State of the European Union which have adopted the euro as their sole legal tender. It currently consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain....
 and the Schengen Agreement
Schengen Agreement

File:SchengenAgreement map.svgThe Schengen Agreement is a treaty signed between five of the then ten member states of the European Community in 1985....
.

There is an assumption that there is a rolling agreement along these lines that a president from a large state is followed by a president from a small state, and one from the political left will be followed by one from the political right: Roy Jenkins (British socialist) was followed by Gaston Thorn (Luxembourg liberal), Jacques Delors (French socialist), Jacques Santer (Luxembourg Christian democrat), Romani Prodi (Italian left wing Christian democrat) and Jose Barroso (Portuguese Christian democrat). However, despite these assumptions these Presidents have usually been chosen during political battles and coalition building. Delors was chosen following a Franco-British disagreement over Claude Cheysson
Claude Cheysson

Claude Cheysson is a French French Socialist Party politician who served as Foreign Minister of France in the government of Pierre Mauroy from 1981 to 1984....
, Santer was a compromise after Britain vetoes Jean-Luc Dehaene
Jean-Luc Dehaene

is a Belgium politician.He was born in Montpellier, France, when his parents were fleeing Germany troops. He got into politics through the Algemeen Christelijk Werknemersverbond , a trade union which was closely linked to the Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams ....
 and Prodi was backed by a coalition of thirteen states against the Franco-German preference for Guy Verhofstad.

Elections

In February 2008, President Barroso admitted there was a problem in legitimacy and that, despite having the same legitimacy
Legitimacy (political science)

The word legitimacy is often interpreted in a Norm or a positive way. In a normative sense, legitimacy gets greater attention as a part of moral philosophy....
 as Prime Minister
Prime minister

A prime minister is the most senior minister of Cabinet in the Executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. The position is usually held by, but need not always be held by, a politician....
s in theory, in practice it was not the case. The low voter turnout
Voter turnout

Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voting who cast a ballot in an election. After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracy since the 1960s....
 creates a problem for the President's legitimacy, with the lack of a "European political sphere", but analysis claim that if citizens were voting for a list of candidates for the post of President, turn out would be much higher than that seen in recent years.

Under the European Constitution the European Council
European Council

The European Council is the highest political body of the European Union. It comprises the head of state head of government of the Union's European Union member state along with the President of the European Commission....
 would have to take into account the results of the latest European elections and, furthermore, the Parliament would elect, rather than simply approve, the Council's proposed candidate. This was taken as the parliament's cue to have its parties run with candidates for the President of the Commission with the candidate of the winning party being proposed by the Council. This was partly put into practice in 2004 when the European Council selected a candidate from the political party which won that year's election
European Parliament election, 2004

Elections to the European Parliament were held from 10 June 2004 to 13 June 2004 in the 25 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom....
. However at that time only one party had run with a specific candidate: the European Green Party
European Green Party

The European Green Party is the Green politics political party at European level. As such it is a federation of Green Party in Europe....
, who had the first true pan-European political party with a common campaign, put forward Daniel Cohn-Bendit
Daniel Cohn-Bendit

Daniel Marc Cohn-Bendit is a France-Germany politician and was a student leader during the unrest of May 1968 in France. He was also known during that time as Dany le Rouge ....
. However the fractious nature of the other political parties led to no other candidates, the People's Party only mentioned four or five people they'd like to be President.

The Constitution failed ratification but these amendments have been carried over to the Treaty of Lisbon
Treaty of Lisbon

The Treaty of Lisbon of 1668 was a peace treaty between Portugal and Spain, concluded at Lisbon, February 13, 1668, by the mediation of England, in which Spain recognized Portuguese independence....
 which is planned to come into force in 2009. There are plans to strengthen the European political parties in order for them to propose candidates for the 2009 election. The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party

The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a liberal parties, mainly active in the European Union, composed of 55 national parties from across Europe....
 have already indicated, in their October 2007 congress, their intention for forward a candidate for the post as part of a common campaign.

Term of office

The President is elected for a renewable five year term starting six months after the elections to the
Elections in the European Union

Elections in the European Union take place every five years by universal suffrage. 785 Member of the European Parliament are elected to the European Parliament which has been directly elected since 1979....
 European Parliament
European Parliament

The European Parliament is the only direct election parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union , it forms the bicameral Institutions of the European Union#Legislature of the Institutions of the European Union and has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world....
. These were brought into alignment via the Maastricht Treaty
Maastricht Treaty

The Maastricht Treaty was signed on 7 February 1992 in Maastricht, the Netherlands after final negotiations on December 9, 1991 between the members of the European Community and entered into force on 1 November 1993 during the Delors Commission....
 and the elections take place in June every five years (the first election was held in 1979, hence all subsequent elections are held on years ending in 4 and 9). This alignment has led to a closer relationship between the elections and the President himself with the above mentioned proposals for political parties running with candidates.

The President and his Commission may be removed from office by a vote of censure from Parliament. Parliament has never done this to date, however the threat of this happening in 1999 due to allegations of financial mismanagement led to the Santer Commission
Santer Commission

The Santer Commission was the European Commission in office between 23 January 1995 and 15 March 1999. The administration was led by Jacques Santer ....
 resigning on its own accord, before the Parliament forced them out.

In the Treaty of Lisbon, the European Council
European Council

The European Council is the highest political body of the European Union. It comprises the head of state head of government of the Union's European Union member state along with the President of the European Commission....
 can end the President's term of office in the event of an impediment or serious misconduct (article 9B (5)).

Duties and powers

The President of the European Commission is the most powerful position in the European Union, controlling the Commission which collectively has a monopoly on all
Legislative initiative

Legislative initiative is the constitutionally defined power to propose law proposals .Legislative initiative is usually attributed to parliaments, which in most countries have the right to make law proposals, alone or sharing this right with governments....
 Union legislation and is responsible for ensuring it is enforced. The President controls the policy agenda of the Commission for his term and in practice no policy can be proposed without the President's agreement.

The role of the President is lead the Commission, and give direction to the Commission and the Union as a whole. The treaties state that "the Commission shall work under the political guidance of its President" (Article 219 TEC
Treaty of Rome

The Treaties of Rome are two of the treaties of the European Union signed on March 25 1957. Both treaties were signed by Inner Six: Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany....
), this is conducted through his calling and chairing of meetings of the college of Commissioners, his personal cabinet
Cabinet (European Commission)

In the European Commission, a cabinet is the personal office of a European Commissioner.The role of the Cabinet is to give political guidance to its Commissioner, while technical preparation is handled by the DGs ....
 and the meetings of the heads of each commissioner's cabinet (the Hebdo). The president may also force a Commissioner to resign. The work of the Commission as a body is based on the principle of Cabinet collective responsibility
Cabinet collective responsibility

Cabinet collective responsibility is constitutional convention in governments using the Westminster System that members of the Cabinet must publicly support all governmental decisions made in Cabinet, even if they do not privately agree with them....
, however in his powers he acts as more than a first among equals
Primus inter pares

Primus inter pares , the first among equals, or first among peers is a phrase which indicates that a person is the most senior of a group of people sharing the same rank or office....
. The role of the President is similar to that of a national Prime Minister
Prime minister

A prime minister is the most senior minister of Cabinet in the Executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. The position is usually held by, but need not always be held by, a politician....
 chairing a cabinet.

The President also has responsibility for representing the Commission in the Union and beyond. For example, he is a member of the European Council
European Council

The European Council is the highest political body of the European Union. It comprises the head of state head of government of the Union's European Union member state along with the President of the European Commission....
 and takes part in debates in Parliament and the Council of Ministers. Outside the Union he attends the meetings of the G8
G8

The Group of Eight is a forum for governments of eight nations of the northern hemisphere: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States; in addition, the European Union is represented within the G8, but cannot host or chair....
 to represent the Union. However in foreign affairs, he does have to compete with several Commissioners with foreign affairs related portfolios: the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy
High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy

The High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy is the main co-ordinator of the Common Foreign and Security Policy within the European Union....
 and the President of the European Council
President of the European Council

The President of the European Council is a position in the European Union that chairs the European Council. At present it is an unofficial low key position which rotates between member states every six months....
.

The Presidential system had started to develop since Jacques Delors
Jacques Delors

Jacques Lucien Jean Delors is a French economist and politician, the only person to have served two terms as President of the European Commission ....
 and has since been cemented, a strong President with competent mandarins is practically unstoppable. However, externally he is still dependent on support from the Council and Parliament. Delors had enjoyed the Parliament's and the Council's support for his whole term, and due to his work the Parliament increased in powers and the Council increased in membership. The membership is now so large the President is increasingly unable to garner the support of all the states, even though the job is supposed to try to keep everyone happy. The Parliament now has more powers over the Commission and can reject its proposals, although the Commission has little power over Parliament, such as the ability to dissolve it to call new elections.

The Presidents office is on the top, 13th, floor of the Berlaymont building
Berlaymont building

The Berlaymont is an office building in Brussels, Belgium that houses the headquarters of the European Commission, which is the Executive of the European Union ....
 in Brussels
Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is the de facto capital city of the European Union and the largest urban area in Belgium....
. The president receives his political guidance from his cabinet
Cabinet (European Commission)

In the European Commission, a cabinet is the personal office of a European Commissioner.The role of the Cabinet is to give political guidance to its Commissioner, while technical preparation is handled by the DGs ....
, the head of which acts as a political bodyguard for the President. Such factors can lead to an isolation of the President from outside events. For the European Civil Service
European Civil Service

The European Civil Service is the civil service serving the institutions of the European Union. Most notably it serves the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union....
 the President has a status akin to a deity
Deity

A deity is a postulated preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divinity, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by human beings....
, due to his immense authority and symbolism within the body. The President exercises further authority through the legal service
Directorate-General for Legal Service (European Commission)

The Directorate-General for Legal Service is a Directorate-General of the European Commission.The Legal Service provides comprehensive in-house assistance to the European Commission and all its departments....
 and Secretariat-General of the Commission
Secretariat-General of the European Commission

The Secretariat-General of the European Commission is a Directorate-General of the European Commission. The DG Secretariat-General is based in the Berlaymont in Brussels ....
. The former has the power to strike down proposals on legal technicalities while the latter organises meetings, agendas
Agenda (meeting)

An agenda is a list of meeting activities in the order in which they are to be taken up, beginning with the call to order and ending with adjournment....
 and minutes
Minutes

Minutes also known as protocols, are the instant written record of a meeting or hearing . They often give an overview of the structure of the meeting, starting with a list of those present, a statement of the various issues before the participants, and each of their responses thereto....
. His control over these areas gives the President further political tools when directing the work of the Commission. This has also increased the Presidential style of the Commission President.

Relationship to Council Presidency

Despite the recent Presidential style, the President has also begun to lose ground to the larger member states as countries such as France, Italy, the UK and Germany seek to sideline its role. This may increase with the creation of the permanent President of the European Council
President of the European Council

The President of the European Council is a position in the European Union that chairs the European Council. At present it is an unofficial low key position which rotates between member states every six months....
. Although there are concerns that competition with the new Council President would lead to increased infighting, there are provisions for combining the two offices. The Council President may not hold a national office, such as a Prime Minister of a member state, but there is no such restraint on European offices. So the Commission President, who already sits in the European Council, could also be appointed Council President. This would allow the Council to combine the position, with its powers, of both executive bodies into a single President of the European Union
President of the European Union

At present, there is no single President of the European Union. It is an informal term for the post of President of the European Council and a theoretical position under the Treaty of Lisbon....
.

Privileges of office

The President's salary is (as of 2004) 266,530 euro
Euro

The euro is the official currency of 16 out of 27 European Union member state of the European Union . The states, known collectively as the Eurozone are: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain....
. This is compared to a normal Commissioner who is paid 217,280 euro. The President is awarded no official residence
Official residence

An official residence is the House at which heads of state, heads of government, gubernatorial or other senior figures officially reside. They may or may not be the same location where they conduct their work-related functions....
 or private jet, but does receive a housing allowance, chauffeured car and a personal staff of approximately 20 people.

List of Presidents

Legend:   [     left
Left-wing politics

In politics, left-wing, leftist, and the Left are terms applied to Social progressivism and Egalitarianism positions. Originally, during the French Revolution, left-wing referred to seating arrangements in parliament; those who sat on the left opposed the monarchy and supported Political radicalism reform....
 leaning (e.g. PES
Party of European Socialists

The Party of European Socialists is a European political party comprising of thirty-three Socialism, Social democracy and labour movement parties from each European Union member state and other European nations such as Norway....
) - [     liberal
Liberalism

Liberalism is a broad class of political philosophy that considers individualism liberty and equality to be the most important political goals....
 (e.g. ELDR) - [     right
Right-wing politics

In politics, right-wing, rightist and the Right are terms applied to Conservatism and reactionary positions. Originally, during the French Revolution, right-wing referred to seating arrangements in parliament; those who sat on the right supported the monarchy and aristocracy....
 leaning (e.g. CD/EPP
European People's Party

The European People's Party is a Christian Democracy, Liberal conservatism and Conservatism European political party. Founded in 1976, the EPP has 72 member-parties from 39 countries, 12 EU and 6 non-EU heads of government, 10 European Commissioners , and the largest group in the European Parliament with 288 members....
)
PresidentTook officeLeft officeStatePartyPhoto
1Walter Hallstein
Walter Hallstein

Walter Hallstein was a Germany politician and professor.He was one of the key figures of European integration after World War II, becoming the first president of the European Commission of the European Commission....

Hallstein Commission
Hallstein Commission

The Hallstein Commission is the European Commission that held office from January 7 1958 to 20 June 1967. Its President was Walter Hallstein and held two separate mandates....
1 January 195830 June 1967 Christian Democrats
European People's Party

The European People's Party is a Christian Democracy, Liberal conservatism and Conservatism European political party. Founded in 1976, the EPP has 72 member-parties from 39 countries, 12 EU and 6 non-EU heads of government, 10 European Commissioners , and the largest group in the European Parliament with 288 members....

National: CDU
 
2Jean Rey
Jean Rey (politician)

Jean Rey was a Belgium lawyer and Liberal politician who became President of the European Commission....

Rey Commission
Rey Commission

The Rey Commission is the European Commission that held office from 2 July 1967 to June 30 1970. Its President was Jean Rey ....
2 July 19671 July 1970Liberal Democrat
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party

The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a liberal parties, mainly active in the European Union, composed of 55 national parties from across Europe....

National: PRL
Liberal Reformist Party

The Parti R?formateur Lib?ral was a Belgium liberal parties active in Wallonia and Brussels. It became into the Mouvement R?formateur. It grew out of the unitiarian Party for Freedom and Progress....
 
3Franco Maria Malfatti
Franco Maria Malfatti

Franco Maria Malfatti di Monte Tretto , was an Italy politician.A descendant of Philip IV of France and wife Joan I of Navarre , Malfatti was born in Rome....

Malfatti Commission
Malfatti Commission

The Malfatti Commission is the European Commission that held office from 1970 to March 21 1972. Its President was Franco Maria Malfatti....
2 July 19701 March 1972Christian Democrats
National: DC
 
4Sicco Mansholt
Sicco Mansholt

Sicco Leendert Mansholt was the president of the European Commission in 1972-1973. He was the European Commissioner for Agriculture from 1958 until 1972....

Mansholt Commission
Mansholt Commission

The Mansholt Commission is the European Commission that held office from 22 March 1972 to 5 January 1973. Its President was Sicco Mansholt....
22 March 19725 January 1973 Socialists
Party of European Socialists

The Party of European Socialists is a European political party comprising of thirty-three Socialism, Social democracy and labour movement parties from each European Union member state and other European nations such as Norway....

National: PvdA
Labour Party (Netherlands)

The Dutch Labour Party , literally "Party of the Labour") is a social democracy political party in the Netherlands. Since the Dutch general election, 2003, the PvdA is the second largest political party in the Netherlands....
 
5François-Xavier Ortoli
François-Xavier Ortoli

Fran?ois-Xavier Ortoli was a French Gaullist Party politician and businessman. He served in various ministerial capacities in the 1968-1969 administration of Prime Minister of France Maurice Couve de Murville including Finance Minister....

Ortoli Commission
Ortoli Commission

The Ortoli Commission is the European Commission that held office from January 6 1973 to 1977. Its President of the European Commission was Fran?ois-Xavier Ortoli....
6 January 19735 January 1977Christian Democrats
National: RPR
Rally for the Republic

The Rally for the Republic , was a France right-wing political party. Originating from the Union of Democrats for the Republic , it was founded by Jacques Chirac in 1976 and presented itself as the heir of Gaullism....
 
6Roy Jenkins
Roy Jenkins

Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead Order of Merit Privy Council of the United Kingdom was a British politician. Once prominent as a Labour Party Member of Parliament and government minister in the 1960s and 1970s, he became the first British President of the European Commission and one of the four principal founders of the So...

Jenkins Commission
6 January 197719 January 1981 Socialists
National: Labour
Labour Party (UK)

The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century, it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Left-wing politics in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, where it has only recently organised again....
 
7Gaston Thorn
Gaston Thorn

Gaston Egmond Thorn was a Luxembourg politician who served in a number of high-profile positions, both domestically and internationally. Amongst the posts that he held were Prime Minister of Luxembourg , President of the United Nations General Assembly , and President of the European Commission ....

Thorn Commission
Thorn Commission

The Thorn Commission was the European Commission that held office from 6 January 1981 until 5 January, 1985. Its President of the European Commission was Gaston Thorn....
20 January 19816 January 1985Liberal Democrat
National: Demokratesch
Democratic Party (Luxembourg)

The Democratic Party , abbreviated to DP, is a liberalism political party in Luxembourg.Since its formation in 1955, the party has been one of the three major parties in Luxembourg, along with the Christian Social People's Party and the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party ....
 
8Jacques Delors
Jacques Delors

Jacques Lucien Jean Delors is a French economist and politician, the only person to have served two terms as President of the European Commission ....

Delors Commission
Delors Commission

The Delors Commission was the administration of Jacques Delors, the 8th President of the European Commission, over the Commission of the European Communities ....
7 January 198524 January 1995Socialists
National: PS
Socialist Party (France)

The Socialist Party is the largest left-wing politics political party in France. It replaced the French Section of the Workers' International in 1969....
 
9Jacques Santer
Jacques Santer

Jacques Santer is a politician from Luxembourg.He was finance minister of Luxembourg from 1979 until 1989, and Prime Minister of Luxembourg from 1984 to 1995, as a member of the Christian Social People's Party, which has been the leading party in the Luxembourg government since 1979....

Santer Commission
Santer Commission

The Santer Commission was the European Commission in office between 23 January 1995 and 15 March 1999. The administration was led by Jacques Santer ....
25 January 199515 March 1999People's Party
European People's Party

The European People's Party is a Christian Democracy, Liberal conservatism and Conservatism European political party. Founded in 1976, the EPP has 72 member-parties from 39 countries, 12 EU and 6 non-EU heads of government, 10 European Commissioners , and the largest group in the European Parliament with 288 members....

National: CSV
Christian Social People's Party

The Christian Social People's Party , abbreviated to CSV or PCS, is the largest political party in Luxembourg. The party follows a Christian Democracy and conservatism ideology, and is strongly pro-European - it is a member of the European People's Party ....
 
~Manuel Marín
Manuel Marín

Manuel Mar?n Gonz?lez is a Spanish politician, former President of the Spanish Congress of Deputies. He was a long-time member of the European Commission, and President during the interim Marin Commission following the Resignation of the Santer Commission, of which he was a member....

Interim Marín Commission
Marín Commission

The Mar?n Commission is an interim European Commission that served in office from March 16 1999 to September 12 1999. It consisted of its president, Manuel Mar?n, and the other commissioners....
15 March 199917 September 1999Socialists
National: PSOE
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party

The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, commonly abbreviated by its Spanish initials, PSOE , is the ruling party in Spain and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Carlism, founded in 1833....
 
10Romano Prodi
Romano Prodi

is an Politics of Italy and statesman. He served as President of the Council of Ministers of Italy of Italy twice, from 17 May 1996 to 21 October 1998 and from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008....

Prodi Commission
Prodi Commission

The Prodi Commission was the European Commission in office between 1999 and 2004. The administration was led by then-former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi....
17 September 199922 November 2004Liberal Democrat
National: Democratici
 
11José Manuel Barroso
Barroso Commission
Barroso Commission

The Barroso Commission is the European Commission that has been in office since 22 November 2004 and is due to serve until 31 October 2009. Its President of the European Commission is Jos? Manuel Barroso, who presides over 26 other commissioners ....
22 November 2004incumbent
Term expires 2009-10-31
People's Party
National: PSD
Social Democratic Party (Portugal)

The Social Democratic Party is a political party in Portugal. It is commonly known by its initials, PSD, however in voting ballots its Acronym and initialism appears as PPD/PSD, the first three letters coming from the party's first name Partido Popular Democr?tico ....
 


See also

  • Vice-President of the European Commission
    Vice-President of the European Commission

    A Vice President of the European Commission is a post in the European Commission usually occupied by more than one member of the Commission....
  • European Commissioner
    European Commissioner

    A European Commissioner is a member of the 27-member European Commission. Each Commissioner within the college holds a specific portfolio and are led by the President of the European Commission....
  • List of presidents of EU institutions
  • President of the European Parliament
    President of the European Parliament

    The President of the European Parliament presides over the debates and activities of the European Parliament. He or she also represents the Parliament within the EU and internationally....
  • President of the European Council
    President of the European Council

    The President of the European Council is a position in the European Union that chairs the European Council. At present it is an unofficial low key position which rotates between member states every six months....
  • Presidency of the Council of the European Union
    Presidency of the Council of the European Union

    Presidency of the Council of the European Union is the responsibility for the functioning of the Council of the European Union which is rotated between European Union member states every six months....


External links

  • (official website)
  • European NAvigator