Editing European Council (section)

==Composition==
The European Council consists of the heads of state or government of the member states, alongside its own [[President of the European Council|President]] and the [[President of the European Commission|Commission President]] (both non-voting). The meetings used to be regularly attended by the national foreign minister as well, and the Commission President likewise accompanied by another member of the commission. However, since the Treaty of Lisbon, this has been discontinued, as the size of the body had become somewhat large following successive accessions of new Member States to the Union.<ref name="seeToL"/><ref name="Europa Council"/>
Meetings can also include other invitees, such as the President of the European Central Bank, as required. The [[Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union|Secretary-General of the Council]] attends, and is responsible for organisational matters, including minutes. The [[President of the European Parliament]] also attends to give an opening speech outlining the [[European Parliament]]'s position before talks begin.<ref name="seeToL"/><ref name="Europa Council"/>

Additionally, the negotiations involve a large number of other people working behind the scenes. Most of those people, however, are not allowed to the conference room, except for two delegates per state to relay messages. At the push of a button members can also call for advice from a Permanent Representative via the "[[Antici Group]]" in an adjacent room. The group is composed of diplomats and assistants who convey information and requests. Interpreters are also required for meetings as members are permitted to speak in their [[Languages of the European Union|own languages]].<ref name="seeToL"/>

As the composition is not precisely defined, some states which have a considerable division of executive power can find it difficult to decide who should attend the meetings. While an MEP, [[Alexander Stubb]] argued that there was no need for the [[President of Finland]] to attend Council meetings with or instead of the [[Prime Minister of Finland]] (who was head of European foreign policy).<ref name="NRF">{{cite web|title=Finnish Conservatives name Stubb foreign minister|publisher=new Room Finland|url=http://newsroom.finland.fi/stt/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=18391&group=Politics|date=1 April 2008|access-date=1 April 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116021717/http://newsroom.finland.fi/stt/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=18391&group=Politics|archive-date=16 January 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2008, having become [[Minister for Foreign Affairs (Finland)|Finnish Foreign Minister]], Stubb was forced out of the Finnish delegation to the emergency council meeting on the [[2008 South Ossetia war|Georgian crisis]] because the President wanted to attend the high-profile summit as well as the Prime Minister (only two people from each country could attend the meetings).{{citation needed|date=June 2022}} This was despite Stubb being [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe#Chairmanship|Chair-in-Office]] of the [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe|Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe]] at the time which was heavily involved in the crisis. Problems also occurred in Poland where the [[President of Poland]] and the [[Prime Minister of Poland]] were of different parties and had a different foreign policy response to the crisis.<ref>{{cite web|last=Phillips|first=Leigh|title=Spats over who gets to go to EU summit break out in Poland, Finland|publisher=EU Observer|url=http://euobserver.com/9/26658|date=29 August 2008|access-date = 1 September 2008}}</ref> A similar situation arose in Romania between [[President of Romania|President]] [[Traian Băsescu]] and Prime Minister [[Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu]] in 2007–2008 and again in 2012 with Prime Minister [[Victor Ponta]], who both opposed the president.{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}}

===Eurozone summits===
{{main|Euro summit}}
A number of ad hoc meetings of heads of state or government of the member states of the [[Eurozone|euro area]] were held in 2010 and 2011 to discuss the Sovereign Debt crisis. It was agreed in October 2011 that they should meet regularly twice a year (with extra meetings if needed). This will normally be at the end of a European Council meeting and according to the same format (chaired by the President of the European Council and including the President of the Commission), but usually restricted to the (currently 20) heads of state or government of the member states of the eurozone.{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}}

===President===
{{Main|President of the European Council}}
The President of the European Council is elected by its members through a [[qualified majority]] vote for a once-renewable term of two and a half years. Article 15 of the [[Treaty on European Union]] (TEU) identifies his duties. It is the Heads of State or Government who vote for this office.<ref name=cons1>{{Cite web|url=http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/european-council/president/role/|access-date=21 March 2015|title=European Council: The President's role|quote=The President the European Council is elected by the European Council by a qualified majority. He is elected for a 2.5-year term, which is renewable once.}}</ref> The President must report to the [[European Parliament]] after each European Council meeting.<ref name="Europa Council"/><ref name="How work"/> The post was created by the [[Treaty of Lisbon]] and was subject to a debate over its exact role. Prior to Lisbon, the Presidency rotated in accordance with the [[Presidency of the Council of the European Union]].<ref name="Europa Council" /><ref name="How work" /> The role of that President-in-Office was in no sense (other than protocol) equivalent to an office of a [[head of state]], merely a ''primus inter pares'' (first among equals) role among other European heads of government. The President-in-Office was primarily responsible for preparing and chairing the Council meetings, and had no executive powers other than the task of representing the Union externally. Now the leader of the Council Presidency country can still act as president when the permanent president is absent.{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}}

===Members===
{{further|List of members of the European Council}}

{{Members of the European Council}}

===Political alliances===
[[File:Current membership of the European Council.svg|thumb|300px|European political affiliation of the current members of the European Council]]

Almost all members of the European Council are members of a political party at the national level. Most of them are also members of political alliances at the European level such as [[European political party|European political parties]] and [[political groups of the European Parliament]].

These alliances frequently hold pre-meetings with their European Council members, prior to their meetings. However, the members of the European Council represent their member states rather than political alliances, and decisions are generally made along national lines, though ideological alignment can colour political agreements and appointments (such as the president of the European Council).<ref>{{cite web|last=Drachenberg |first=Ralf |title=European political parties and the European Council: A pattern of ever closer coordination? |publisher=[[European Parliamentary Research Service]] |year=2022 |url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_STU(2022)699476 |access-date=2024-05-28}}</ref>

The charts below outline the number of leaders affiliated to each alliance and their total voting weight. The map indicates the political group of the member representing each individual country.

{{bar box |width=650px |barwidth=475px |title=Number of members by political group<ref name="affiliation">{{Cite web|url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_ATA(2024)608781|title=Current Membership of the European Council &#124; Think Tank &#124; European Parliament}}</ref> |titlebar=#ddd |bars=
{{bar pixel|[[European People's Party Group|EPP]]|{{party color|European People's Party Group}}|444||{{mono|12 (44.4%)}}}}
{{bar pixel|[[Renew Europe|Renew]]|{{party color|Renew Europe}}|148||{{mono|4 (14.8%)}}}}
{{bar pixel|[[European Conservatives and Reformists Group|ECR]]|{{party color|European Conservatives and Reformists}}|111||{{mono|3 (11.1%)}}}}
{{bar pixel|[[Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats|S&D]]|{{party color|Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats}}|111||{{mono|3 (11.1%)}}}}
{{bar pixel|[[Independent politician|Ind.]]|{{party color|Independent politician}}|111||{{mono|3 (11.1%)}}}}
{{bar pixel|[[Patriots for Europe|PfE]]|{{party color|Patriots for Europe}}|37||{{mono|1 ( 3.7%)}}}}
{{bar pixel|{{Abbr|Una.|Unaffiliated}}|{{party color|Non-Inscrits}}|37||{{mono|1 ( 3.7%)}}}}
}}

<!-- Calculated by adding the population of each state and dividing by the total population -->
{{bar box |width=650px |barwidth=475px |title=Share of population by political group<ref name="affiliation"/><ref>{{cite act |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec/2021/2320/oj |title=Council Decision (EU, Euratom) 2021/2320 of 22 December 2021 amending the Council's Rules of Procedure |legislature=Council of the European Union |date=22 December 2021 |index=2021/2320 |type=Decision}}</ref> |titlebar=#ddd |bars=
{{bar pixel|[[European People's Party Group|EPP]]|{{party color|European People's Party Group}}|446||{{mono|{{0|0 (}}44.6%{{0|)}}}}}}
{{bar pixel|[[European Conservatives and Reformists Group|ECR]]|{{party color|European Conservatives and Reformists}}|183||{{mono|18.3%{{0|)}}}}}}
{{bar pixel|[[Renew Europe|Renew]]|{{party color|Renew Europe}}|170||{{mono|17.0%{{0|)}}}}}}
{{bar pixel|[[Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats|S&D]]|{{party color|Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats}}|120||{{mono|12.0%{{0|)}}}}}}
{{bar pixel|[[Independent politician|Ind.]]|{{party color|Independent politician}}|48||{{mono|4.8%{{0|)}}}}}}
{{bar pixel|[[Patriots for Europe|PfE]]|{{party color|Patriots for Europe}}|22||{{mono|2.2%{{0|)}}}}}}
{{bar pixel|{{Abbr|Una.|Unaffiliated}}|{{party color|Non-Inscrits}}|12||{{mono|1.2%{{0|)}}}}}}
}}

<!-- In order to improve consistency across pages, the values below are automatically filled from [[Template:EUCouncilcountEuropeanParty]] -->
{{bar box |width=650px |barwidth=475px |title=Number of members by European political party{{refn|<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.epp.eu/parties-and-partners |title=EPP - European People's Party - Parties & partners |publisher=EPP |accessdate=20 June 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://pes.eu/about-us/leadership/ |title=Leadership - The Party of European Socialists |publisher=PES |accessdate=20 June 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.aldeparty.eu/leadership |title=Leadership - ALDE Party |publisher=ALDE Party |accessdate=20 June 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://ecrparty.eu/about/ |title=About - ECR Party |publisher=ECR Party |accessdate=20 June 2024}}</ref>}} |titlebar=#ddd |bars=
{{bar pixel|[[European People's Party|EPP]]|{{EUPP data|color|EPP}}|{{#expr: 10 * {{EUPP data|seat share|EPP|EUCO}} }}||{{mono|{{EUPP data|seats|EPP|EUCO}} ({{EUPP data|seat share|EPP|EUCO}}%)}}}}
{{bar pixel|[[Independent politician|Ind.]]|{{party color|Independent politician}}|{{#expr: 10 * {{EUPP data|seat share|ind|EUCO}} }}||{{mono|{{EUPP data|seats|ind|EUCO}} ({{EUPP data|seat share|ind|EUCO}}%)}}}}
{{bar pixel|[[Party of European Socialists|PES]]|{{EUPP data|color|PES}}|{{#expr: 10 * {{EUPP data|seat share|PES|EUCO}} }}||{{mono|{{EUPP data|seats|PES|EUCO}} ({{EUPP data|seat share|PES|EUCO}}%)}}}}
{{bar pixel|[[Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party|ALDE]]|{{EUPP data|color|ALDE}}|{{#expr: 10 * {{EUPP data|seat share|ALDE|EUCO}} }}||{{mono|{{EUPP data|seats|ALDE|EUCO}} ({{EUPP data|seat share|ALDE|EUCO}}%)}}}}
{{bar pixel|[[European Conservatives and Reformists Party|ECR]]|{{EUPP data|color|ECR}}|{{#expr: 10 * {{EUPP data|seat share|ECR|EUCO}} }}||{{mono|{{EUPP data|seats|ECR|EUCO}} ({{EUPP data|seat share|ECR|EUCO}}%)}}}}
{{bar pixel|[[European Free Alliance|EFA]]|{{EUPP data|color|EFA}}|{{#expr: 10 * {{EUPP data|seat share|EFA|EUCO}} }}||{{mono|{{EUPP data|seats|EFA|EUCO}} ({{EUPP data|seat share|EFA|EUCO}}%)}}}}
{{bar pixel|[[Patriots.eu|P.eu]]|{{EUPP data|color|Patriots}}|{{#expr: 10 * {{EUPP data|seat share|Patriots|EUCO}} }}||{{mono|{{EUPP data|seats|Patriots|EUCO}} ({{EUPP data|seat share|Patriots|EUCO}}%)}}}}
{{bar pixel|{{Abbr|Una.|Unaffiliated}}|{{party color|Non-Inscrits}}|{{#expr: 10 * {{EUPP data|seat share|none|EUCO}} }}||{{mono|{{EUPP data|seats|none|EUCO}} ({{EUPP data|seat share|none|EUCO}}%)}}}}
}}

===Members timeline===
{{European Council Members Timeline}}