Is the President of the European Council a threat or an advantage for democracy in Europe?

The answer to this question is rather abstract and may reflect a certain degree of subjectivity. For this reason, it probably will show a range of different opinions depending on the perspective from which it is viewed.

I am of the idea that outlining the major roles and responsibilities of the President of the European Council will give us a better understanding as to how or why this position might be an advantage for or constitute a threat to democracy in the EU.

First of all, the President is elected by the members of the European Council by a qualified majority voting system for a once renewable two and a half year term. This demonstrates the democratic procedure of his appointment. Secondly, The President chairs the European Council meetings, helps to facilitate cohesion and consensus within the European Council and represents the EU externally alongside the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy or the President of the European Commission depending on the issue at hand. This illustrates the contributions of the President to the democratic functions of the Union and shows that the President is not entirely independent or the sole representative of the EU but rather a person who works in cooperation with other EU institutions and in conformity with the code of conduct set by the Union. Hence, the actions and decisions taken by the President of the European Council are as a result of negotiations and consultations with related EU institutions.

Finally, the fact that the office of the President of the European Council is a full-time job does not ingrain it with special privileges. Indeed, the previous six-month rotational presidency of the European Council had the advantage of involving each member state to the work of the Union but it also had the disadvantage of lacking perspective. The current office of the President of the European Council has the advantage of bringing more continuity and coherence to the work of the European Union as a whole.

Therefore, to say that the President of the European Council is a threat for democracy in the EU would be an oversimplification. Because the President virtually has no sole executive powers capable of undermining the democratic functions of the Union. But guess what, there are multiple angles from which this issue could be approached. This might just be one side of the cube…