Former Prime Minister of Portugal Antonio Costa has been elected as the new President of the European Council of the European Union. Antonio Costa will replace Charles Michel of Belgium and take charge on 1 October 2024. The European Council also selected Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as the next High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

Election of President of the European Council

The European Council of the European Union elects the President of the European Council by a secret ballot. The European Council consists of the Head of the State /Head of the Government of the 27 members of the European Union, the European Council President and the European Commission President. However, only the Head of the State /Head of the Government participates in the election of the President of the European Council.

Term of the European Council President

The President of the European Council is elected for a term of 2.5 years and can be re-elected once. Thus, a person can hold the office of the President of the European Council for a maximum of five years.

President of the European Council and its Work

The office of the President of the European Council was made a permanent body in 2009 after the enforcement of the Treaty of Lisbon 2007.

The European Council is the top body of the 27-member European Union. It sets the political agenda of the European Union and meets twice a year.

The President leads the European Council in performing its work

He also works to promote cohesion and consensus within the European Council.

The President of the European Council represents the 27-member European Union bloc at the International Summit meeting.

High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

The European Council also appointed Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as the next High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. She will replace Spain’s Josep Borrell.

The High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy post is basically the foreign minister of the European Union.

Kaja Kallas will have to resign from her post as Prime Minister of Estonia before taking up the post of High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

About European Union

The European Union is an international organisation that was created by the Maastricht Treaty, which came into force on 1 November 1993.

The Maastricht treaty aimed to further the political and economic integration of the European countries by establishing a common currency (euro), a unified foreign and security policy, and common citizenship rights.

The European Union has a 720-member European Parliament whose members are elected by the people of the European Union.

The Parliament sits at Luxembourg, Brussels(Belgium) and Strasbourg (France)

Members: 27 countries.

Headquarters: Brussels(Belgium).