List of members of the European Council

Last updated

European political affiliation of the current members of the European Council Current membership of the European Council.svg
European political affiliation of the current members of the European Council

The European Council (informally EUCO) is a collegiate body that defines the overall political direction and priorities of the European Union. [1]

Contents

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 António Costa, a former Prime Minister of Portugal.

Membership

The European Council 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 representative of each member state depends on its political system. A member of the European Council is usually the highest representative of the executive branch of government. Cyprus, France, Lithuania, and Romania have presidential or semi-presidential systems and are represented by their head of state (president). The other member states have parliamentary systems and are represented by their head of government (prime minister).

Current members

StateMember [2] Affiliation [3] Member sinceTime as memberElectionsNext electionShare of population [a] [4] Notes
Flag of Europe.svg

European Union
Antonio Costa Portrait 2024 (cropped).jpg
President of the European Council
António Costa
S&DPS 1 December 20248 years, 229 days [b] 20242027Non-voting member
Flag of Europe.svg

European Union
(Ursula von der Leyen) 2019.07.16. Ursula von der Leyen presents her vision to MEPs 2 (cropped).jpg
President of the European Commission
Ursula
von der Leyen
EPPCDU 1 December 20195 years, 101 days 2024
2019
2029 Non-voting member
Flag of Austria.svg

Republic of Austria
2025 Christian Stocker (54362633314) (cropped).jpg
Chancellor
Christian Stocker
EPPÖVP 3 March 20259 days 2024 2029 1.99%Head of government
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg

Kingdom of Belgium
BartDeWever.jpg
Prime Minister
Bart De Wever
ECRN-VA 3 February 202537 days 2024 2029 2.58%Head of government
Flag of Bulgaria.svg

Republic of Bulgaria
Rosen Zhelyazkov.png
Prime Minister
Rosen Zhelyazkov
EPPGERB 16 January 202555 days 2024 2028 1.55%Head of government
Flag of Croatia.svg

Republic of Croatia
Andrej Plenkovic 2024.jpg
Prime Minister
Andrej Plenković
EPPHDZ 19 October 20168 years, 144 days 2024
2020
2016
2028 0.90%Head of government
Flag of Cyprus.svg

Republic of Cyprus
Christodoulides2019a.jpg
President
Nikos Christodoulides
Independent 28 February 20232 years, 12 days 2023 2028 0.20%Head of state and head of government
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg

Czech Republic
Petr Fiala 2019 Praha.jpg
Prime Minister
Petr Fiala
ECRODS 17 December 20213 years, 85 days 2021 2025 2.36%Head of government
Flag of Denmark.svg

Denmark
Mette Frederiksen Koopenhaminassa 4.5.2022 (52049397038) (cropped).jpg
Prime Minister
Mette Frederiksen
S&DS 27 June 20195 years, 258 days 2022
2019
2026 1.30%Head of government
Flag of Estonia.svg

Republic of Estonia
Kristen Michal in 2024 (cropped).jpg
Prime Minister
Kristen Michal
RenewER 23 July 2024232 days 2023 2027 0.30%Head of government
Flag of Finland.svg

Republic of Finland
Petteri-Orpo-01 (cropped).jpg
Prime Minister
Petteri Orpo
EPPKok. 20 June 20231 year, 265 days 2023 2027 1.24%Head of government
Flag of France.svg

French Republic
Emmanuel Macron August 2024.jpg
President
Emmanuel Macron
RenewRE 14 May 20177 years, 302 days 2022
2017
2027 15.07%Head of state
Flag of Germany.svg

Federal Republic of Germany
Olaf Scholz In March 2022.jpg
Chancellor
Olaf Scholz
S&DSPD 8 December 20213 years, 94 days 2021 2025 18.57%Head of government
Flag of Greece.svg

Hellenic Republic
Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic (49347116768) (cropped).jpg
Prime Minister
Kyriakos Mitsotakis
EPPND 26 June 20235 years, 214 days [c] 2023 (Jun)
2023 (May)
2019
2027 2.39%Head of government
Flag of Hungary.svg

Hungary
Viktor Orban 2018.jpg
Prime Minister
Viktor Orbán
PfEFidesz 29 May 201014 years, 287 days 2022
2018
2014
2010
2026 2.17%Head of government
Flag of Ireland.svg

Ireland
Micheal Martin TD (cropped).jpg
Taoiseach
Micheál Martin
RenewFF 23 January 20252 years, 220 days [d] 2024 2029 1.12%Head of government
Flag of Italy.svg

Italian Republic
Giorgia Meloni Official 2023 crop.jpg
Prime Minister
Giorgia Meloni
ECRFdI 22 October 20222 years, 141 days 2022 2027 13.38%Head of government
Flag of Latvia.svg

Republic of Latvia
Jaunieveletas Ministru prezidentes Evikas Silinas preses konference (cropped).jpg
Prime Minister
Evika Siliņa
EPPV 15 September 20231 year, 178 days 2022 2026 0.42%Head of government
Flag of Lithuania.svg

Republic of Lithuania
Gitanas Nauseda crop.png
President
Gitanas Nausėda
Independent 12 July 20195 years, 243 days 2024
2019
2029 0.62%Head of state
Flag of Luxembourg.svg

Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
EPP Summit, 19 December, Brussels (54214341758) (cropped).jpg
Prime Minister
Luc Frieden
EPPCSV 17 November 20231 year, 115 days 2023 2028 0.14%Head of government
Flag of Malta.svg

Republic of Malta
Robert Abela - Official Portrait 2022 (cropped).jpg
Prime Minister
Robert Abela
S&DPL 13 January 20205 years, 58 days 2022 2027 0.12%Head of government
Flag of the Netherlands.svg

Netherlands
Directeur-generaal AIVD Dick Schoof (cropped).jpg
Prime Minister
Dick Schoof
Independent 2 July 2024253 days 2023 2027 3.94%Head of government
Flag of Poland.svg

Republic of Poland
EPP Summit, 29 June, Brussels (53287183894) (cropped2).jpg
Prime Minister
Donald Tusk
EPPPO 13 December 202313 years, 33 days [e] 2023 2027 8.45%Between January and June 2025, Donald Tusk is the head of government of the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Flag of Portugal.svg

Portuguese Republic
Luis Montenegro.jpg
Prime Minister
Luís Montenegro
EPPPSD 2 April 2024344 days 2024 2028 2.30%Head of government
Flag of Romania.svg

Romania
Ilie Bolojan - 6 March 2025 (cropped).jpg
President
Ilie Bolojan
EPPPNL [f] 12 February 202528 days 2025 4.29%Head of state
Flag of Slovakia.svg

Slovak Republic
Robert Fico, 2023.jpg
Prime Minister
Robert Fico
Una.Smer–SD 25 October 202311 years, 129 days [g] 2023 2027 1.22%Head of government
Flag of Slovenia.svg

Republic of Slovenia
Novinarska konferenca po sestanku o energetski samooskrbi - 30.1.2024 - Robert Golob (cropped).jpg
Prime Minister
Robert Golob
RenewGS 1 June 20222 years, 284 days 2022 2026 0.47%Head of government
Flag of Spain.svg

Kingdom of Spain
Pedro Sanchez 2021b (portrait).jpg
Prime Minister
Pedro Sánchez
S&DPSOE 2 June 20186 years, 283 days 2023
2019 (Nov)
2019 (Apr)
2016
2027 10.59%Head of government
Flag of Sweden.svg

Kingdom of Sweden
Swedish Prime Minister outlines priorities to make EU greener, safer and freer - 52635393553 (cropped).jpg
Prime Minister
Ulf Kristersson
EPPM 18 October 20222 years, 145 days 2022 2026 2.32%Head of government

Timeline of membership

Boris JohnsonTheresa MayDavid CameronGordon BrownTony BlairJohn MajorMargaret ThatcherJames CallaghanHarold WilsonUlf KristerssonMagdalena AnderssonStefan LöfvenFredrik ReinfeldtGöran PerssonIngvar CarlssonPedro SánchezMariano RajoyJosé Luis Rodríguez ZapateroJosé María AznarFelipe GonzálezRobert GolobJanez JanšaMarjan ŠarecMiro CerarAlenka BratušekJanez JanšaBorut PahorJanez JanšaAnton RopRobert FicoĽudovít ÓdorEduard HegerIgor MatovičPeter PellegriniRobert FicoIveta RadičováRobert FicoMikuláš DzurindaIlie BolojanKlaus IohannisTraian BăsescuLuís MontenegroAntónio CostaPedro Passos CoelhoJosé SócratesPedro Santana LopesJosé Manuel BarrosoAntónio GuterresAníbal Cavaco SilvaDonald TuskMateusz MorawieckiBeata SzydłoEwa KopaczDonald TuskJarosław KaczyńskiKazimierz MarcinkiewiczMarek BelkaLeszek MillerDick SchoofMark RutteJan Peter BalkenendeWim KokRuud LubbersDries van AgtJoop den UylRobert AbelaJoseph MuscatLawrence GonziLuc FriedenXavier BettelJean-Claude JunckerJacques Louis SanterPierre WernerGaston Egmond ThornGitanas NausėdaDalia GrybauskaitėValdas AdamkusArtūras PaulauskasEvika SiliņaKrišjānis KariņšMāris KučinskisLaimdota StraujumaValdis DombrovskisIvars GodmanisAigars KalvītisIndulis EmsisGiorgia MeloniMario DraghiGiuseppe ContePaolo GentiloniMatteo RenziEnrico LettaMario MontiSilvio BerlusconiRomano ProdiSilvio BerlusconiGiuliano AmatoMassimo D'AlemaRomano ProdiLamberto DiniSilvio BerlusconiCarlo Azeglio CiampiGiuliano AmatoGiulio AndreottiCiriaco De MitaGiovanni GoriaAmintore FanfaniBettino CraxiAmintore FanfaniGiovanni SpadoliniArnaldo ForlaniFrancesco CossigaGiulio AndreottiAldo MoroMicheál MartinSimon HarrisLeo VaradkarMicheál MartinLeo VaradkarEnda KennyBrian CowenBertie AhernJohn BrutonAlbert ReynoldsCharles HaugheyGarret FitzGeraldCharles HaugheyGarret FitzGeraldCharles HaugheyJack LynchLiam CosgraveViktor OrbánGordon BajnaiFerenc GyurcsányPéter MedgyessyKyriakos MitsotakisIoannis SarmasKyriakos MitsotakisAlexis TsiprasVassiliki Thanou-ChristophilouAlexis TsiprasAntonis SamarasPanagiotis PikrammenosLucas PapademosGeorge PapandreouKostas KaramanlisKonstantinos SimitisAndreas PapandreouKonstantinos MitsotakisXenophon ZolotasIoannis GrivasTzannis TzannetakisAndreas PapandreouGeorgios RallisOlaf ScholzAngela MerkelGerhard SchröderHelmut KohlHelmut SchmidtEmmanuel MacronFrançois HollandeNicolas SarkozyJacques ChiracFrançois MitterrandValéry Giscard d'EstaingPetteri OrpoSanna MarinAntti RinneJuha SipiläAlexander StubbJyrki KatainenMari KiviniemiMatti VanhaneniAnneli JäätteenmäkiPaavo LipponenEsko AhoKristen MichalKaja KallasJüri RatasTaavi RõivasAndrus AnsipJuhan PartsMette FrederiksenLars Løkke RasmussenHelle Thorning-SchmidtLars Løkke RasmussenAnders Fogh RasmussenPoul Nyrup RasmussenPoul SchlüterAnker JørgensenPetr FialaAndrej BabišBohuslav SobotkaJiří RusnokPetr NečasJan Fischer (politician)Mirek TopolánekJiří ParoubekStanislav GrossVladimír ŠpidlaNikos ChristodoulidesNicos AnastasiadesDemetris ChristofiasTassos PapadopoulosAndrej PlenkovićTihomir OreškovićZoran MilanovićRosen ZhelyazkovDimitar GlavchevNikolai DenkovRumen RadevKiril PetkovRumen RadevBoyko BorisovOgnyan GerdzhikovBoyko BorisovGeorgi BliznashkiPlamen OresharskiMarin RaykovBoyko BorisovSergei StanishevBart De WeverAlexander De CrooSophie WilmèsCharles MichelElio Di RupoYves LetermeHerman Van RompuyYves LetermeGuy VerhofstadtJean-Luc DehaeneWilfried MartensMark EyskensWilfried MartensPaul Vanden BoeynantsLeo TindemansChristian StockerAlexander SchallenbergKarl NehammerAlexander SchallenbergSebastian KurzBrigitte BierleinSebastian KurzChristian KernWerner FaymannAlfred GusenbauerWolfgang SchüsselViktor KlimaFranz VranitzkyUrsula von der LeyenJean-Claude JunckerJosé Manuel BarrosoRomano ProdiManuel MarínJacques SanterJacques DelorsGaston ThornRoy JenkinsFrançois-Xavier OrtoliAntónio CostaCharles MichelDonald TuskHerman Van RompuyUnited KingdomSwedenSpainSloveniaSlovakiaRomaniaPortugalPolandNetherlandsMaltaLuxembourgLithuaniaLatviaItalyIrelandHungaryGreeceGermanyFranceFinlandEstoniaDenmarkCzech RepublicCyprusCroatiaBulgariaBelgiumAustriaPresident of the European CommissionPresident of the European CouncilList of members of the European Council

Longest-serving members of the European Council

Leaders who have been members of the European Council for more than 10 years
#MemberPositionStateMembershipLast affiliation
1 Jean-Claude Juncker Prime Minister Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg 20 January 19954 December 201318 years, 318 days EPP
Commission President Flag of Europe.svg  European Union 1 November 201430 November 20195 years, 29 days
23 years, 347 days
2 Helmut Kohl Chancellor Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 1 October 198227 October 199816 years, 26 days EPP
3 Angela Merkel Chancellor Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 22 November 20058 December 202116 years, 16 days EPP
4 Viktor Orbán Prime Minister Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 29 May 2010 – present14 years, 287 days PfE
5 Jacques Santer Prime Minister Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg 20 July 198426 January 199510 years, 190 days EPP
Commission President Flag of Europe.svg  European Union 25 January 199515 March 19994 years, 49 days
14 years, 238 days
6 François Mitterrand President Flag of France.svg  France 21 May 198117 May 199513 years, 361 days S&D
7 Mark Rutte Prime Minister Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 14 October 20102 July 202413 years, 262 days Renew
8 Donald Tusk Prime Minister Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 16 November 200722 September 20146 years, 310 days EPP
Council President Flag of Europe.svg  European Union 1 December 201430 November 20194 years, 364 days
Prime Minister Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 13 December 2023 – present1 year, 89 days
13 years, 33 days
9 Wilfried Martens Prime Minister Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 3 March 19796 April 19812 years, 34 days EPP
17 December 19817 March 199210 years, 81 days
12 years, 115 days
10 José Manuel Barroso Prime Minister Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal 6 April 200217 July 20042 years, 102 days EPP
Commission President Flag of Europe.svg  European Union 22 November 200431 October 20149 years, 343 days
12 years, 80 days
11 Jacques Chirac President Flag of France.svg  France 17 May 199516 May 200711 years, 364 days EPP
12 Ruud Lubbers Prime Minister Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 4 November 198222 August 199411 years, 291 days EPP
13 Margaret Thatcher Prime Minister Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4 May 197928 November 199011 years, 208 days ECR
14 Robert Fico Prime Minister Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia 4 July 20068 July 20104 years, 4 daysUna.
4 April 201222 March 20185 years, 352 days
25 October 2023 – present1 year, 138 days
11 years, 129 days
15 Bertie Ahern Taoiseach Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland 26 June 19977 May 200810 years, 316 days ECR
16 Göran Persson Prime Minister Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 22 March 19966 October 200610 years, 198 days S&D
17 Poul Schlüter Prime Minister Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 10 September 198225 January 199310 years, 137 days EPP
18 Felipe González Prime Minister Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 1 January 19865 May 199610 years, 125 days S&D
19 Tony Blair Prime Minister Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2 May 199727 June 200710 years, 56 days S&D
20 Klaus Iohannis President Flag of Romania.svg  Romania 21 December 201412 February 202510 years, 53 days EPP
21 Jacques Delors Commission President Flag of Europe.svg  European Union 7 January 198524 January 199510 years, 17 days S&D
22 Charles Michel Prime Minister Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 11 October 201427 October 20195 years, 16 days Renew
Council President Flag of Europe.svg  European Union 1 December 201930 November 20244 years, 365 days
10 years, 15 days

See also

Notes

  1. Used for qualified majority voting in the Council.
  2. Costa had already been a member of the Council from November 2015 to April 2024 as Prime Minister of Portugal.
  3. Mitsotakis had already been Prime Minister of Greece, and therefore a member of the Council, from July 2019 to May 2023.
  4. Martin had already been Taoiseach, and therefore a member of the Council, from June 2020 to December 2022.
  5. Tusk had already been a member of the Council from November 2007 to September 2014 as Prime Minister of Poland, and from December 2014 to November 2019 as President of the European Council.
  6. Membership in PNL is formally suspended while in office. Bolojan, however, regularly attends EPP pre-European Council meetings. [3]
  7. Fico had already been Prime Minister of Slovakia, and therefore a member of the Council, from July 2006 to July 2010 and from April 2012 to March 2018.

References

  1. 1 2 "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.
  2. "Members of the European Council". www.consilium.europa.eu. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Current membership of the European Council" . Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  4. 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.