The EU does not have a single "President." Instead, the title and roles are divided among the leaders of three primary EU institutions, each with a distinct election process: [1, 2, 3, 4]
1. President of the European Commission
The Commission President, who serves a 5-year term, is the political head of the EU and acts as its executive branch. [1, 2, 3]
•Nomination: The European Council (made up of the heads of state/government of the 27 EU member states) proposes a candidate, taking into account the political makeup of the European Parliament following EU elections.
•Election: The nominee must be elected by an absolute majority (at least half of all elected Members) in the European Parliament. [1, 2, 3]
2. President of the European Council
This President, who serves a renewable 2.5-year term, represents the EU internationally and chairs the summits of national EU leaders. [1, 2, 3]
•Election: The members of the European Council elect their President by a qualified majority (55% of the member states representing at least 65% of the EU population). [1, 2]
3. President of the European Parliament
This President leads and represents the Parliament and serves a renewable 2.5-year term. [1, 2]
•Election: The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) elect the President by a majority of the votes cast in a secret ballot. [1]