President of the European Parliament

President of the European Parliament
Logo of the Parliament
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
Websitethe-president.europarl.europa.eu/en/

The president of the European Parliament presides over the debates and activities of the European Parliament. They also represent the Parliament within the European Union (EU) and internationally. The president's signature is required for laws initiated under co-decision and the EU budget.

Presidents serve 2.5-year terms, normally divided between the two major political parties. There have been 30 presidents since the Parliament was created in 1952, 17 of whom have served since the first parliamentary election in 1979. Three presidents have been women and most have come from the older member states.

  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. ^ a b Parliament began either in 1952 with the Common Assembly or 1958 with the Parliamentary Assembly.