I was amazed, watching Question Time on the BBC tonight, to hear both Harriet Harman and Simon Hughes suggest that one of the ways the Reform Treaty differs from the EU Constitution is in not providing for a “European President”. It just shows how little even major politicians know about this treaty!
In fact, the Reform Treaty makes provision for a President of the European Council, just as the Consitution did. It’s inserted as article 9b(5) into the Treaty on European Union by article 1(16) of the the draft Reform Treaty, at page 12.
Incidentally, the proposed President of the European Council is often confused with the Presidency of the Council of Ministers – admittedly that’s understandable given the confusing terminology.
The Council of Ministers is the workaday body that brings member states together, meeting constantly in Brussels in various configurations and especially in working groups of officials, to negotiate the detail of proposed directives, and so on. That will continue following the Reform Treaty, but with a new “team” presidency, or chairmanship, or three countries for 18 months, rather than the six monthly national presidencies we have now.
The European Council basically means the heads of state and government of the member states, plus the Commission President, and they meet every few months at summits to make the big decisions about where the EU is going. The Reform Treaty, as I’ve said, will create a new post of President of this institution.
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