President of the European Parliament

head of debate oversight in the European Union legislature

The President of the European Parliament is the head of the European Parliament. He or she also represents the Parliament within the EU and internationally. The President has to sign that EU laws and the EU budget can become valid.

President of the European Parliament
Logo of the Parliament
Incumbent
Roberta Metsola

since 18 January 2022
European Parliament
StylePresident[1]
StatusPresiding officer
Member ofEuropean Parliament
ResidenceLouise Weiss building
SeatStrasbourg, France
AppointerEuropean Parliament
Term length2.5 years, renewable once
Inaugural holderPaul Henri Spaak / Robert Schuman[2]
Formation1952 / 1958[2]
DeputyVice-Presidents of the European Parliament
Websiteeuroparl.europa.eu

Presidents serve two-and-a-half-year terms. This time is normally divided between the two major political parties of the European Parliament. There have been twenty-eight Presidents, since the Parliament was created in 1952. Thirteen of whom have served since the first Parliamentary election in 1979. Two Presidents have been women and most have come from the older member states.

List of Elected President of the European Parliament

change
N. Portrait President
(Born–Died)
State Took office Left office Party Group Election Refs
1   Simone Veil
(1927–2017)
  France 17 July 1979 19 January 1982 UDF Liberal Democrats 1979
2 years, 186 days
2   Piet Dankert
(1934–2003)
  Netherlands 19 January 1982 24 July 1984 PvdA Socialists
2 years, 187 days
3   Pierre Pflimlin
(1907–2000)
  France 24 July 1984 20 January 1987 UDF / RPR European People's Party 1984
2 years, 180 days
4   C. Henry Plumb
(1925–2022)
  United Kingdom 20 January 1987 25 July 1989 Conservative European Democrats
2 years, 186 days
5   Enrique Barón Crespo
(born 1944)
  Spain 25 July 1989 21 January 1992 PSOE Socialists 1989
2 years, 180 days
6   Egon Klepsch
(1930–2010)
  Germany 21 January 1992 19 July 1994 CDU European People's Party
2 years, 179 days
7   Klaus Hänsch
(born 1938)
  Germany 19 July 1994 14 January 1997 SPD Party of European Socialists 1994
2 years, 186 days
8   José María Gil-Robles
(1935–2023)
  Spain 14 January 1997 20 July 1999 PP European People's Party
2 years, 187 days
9   Nicole Fontaine
(1942–2018)
  France 20 July 1999 15 January 2002 UMP European People's Party 1999
2 years, 179 days
10   Pat Cox
(born 1952)
  Ireland 15 January 2002 20 July 2004 Independent Liberal Democrats
2 years, 187 days
11   Josep Borrell
(born 1947)
  Spain 20 July 2004 16 January 2007 PSOE Party of European Socialists 2004
2 years, 180 days
12   Hans-Gert Pöttering
(born 1945)
  Germany 16 January 2007 14 July 2009 CDU European People's Party
2 years, 179 days
13   Jerzy Buzek
(born 1940)
  Poland 14 July 2009 17 January 2012 PO European People's Party 2009
2 years, 187 days
14   Martin Schulz
(born 1955)
  Germany 17 January 2012 17 January 2017 SPD Socialists & Democrats
5 years, 0 days 2014
15   Antonio Tajani
(born 1953)
  Italy 17 January 2017 3 July 2019 FI European People's Party
2 years, 167 days
16   David Sassoli
(1956–2022)
  Italy 3 July 2019 11 January 2022 PD Socialists & Democrats 2019
2 years, 192 days
17   Roberta Metsola
(born 1979)
  Malta 18 January 2022[a] Incumbent PN European People's Party
2 years, 318 days
  1. Acting from 11 to 18 January 2022.

References

change
  1. English Style Guide: A handbook for authors and translators in the European Commission (PDF) (8 ed.). European Commission. October 2019. p. 119. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Parliament began either in 1952 with the Common Assembly or 1958 with the Parliamentary Assembly.