The President of the European Council – from Rotation to Election

Abstract

This article discusses the principles of election of the President of the European Council, modified by the Treaty of Lisbon. The current procedure for selecting a permanent President of the European Council is presented against the background of the original model of the rotating presidency of both the European Council and the Council. It is worth mentioning that the Council, although in a modified form, has, until now, been using the system of rotating presidency. Key issues discussed in the article relate to two essential points. The first concerns procedural aspects of the election of the European Council president (including qualification requirements, the rules of election and the validity of the principle of incompatibilitatis). The second refers to an analysis of the potential impact of changes in the method of determining the European Council president on the scope of his competences.