Candidates for the presidency may be proposed either by a political group or by a minimum of forty MEPs (Rule 12). All the duly nominated candidates will address MEPs before voting begins.  The election is held by secret ballot.  Unusually for a vote in the European Parliament, MEPs take part by marking their preferred candidate on a paper ballot and placing it in a ballot box.  The process is overseen by eight tellers, chosen by lot from among the MEPs.

 

To be elected, a candidate must win an absolute majority of the valid votes cast, i.e. 50 per cent plus one (Rule 13).  Blank or spoiled ballots do not count in calculating the majority required. 

 

If no candidate is elected at the first ballot, the same or other candidates can be nominated for a second round of voting under the same conditions.  This can be repeated at a third round if necessary, again with the same rules.

 

If no-one is elected at the third ballot, the two highest scoring candidates in that round proceed to a fourth ballot, where the one receiving the greater number of votes wins.  (Should there be a tie at this stage, the older candidate is declared the winner).

 

The newly elected President then takes the chair and is entitled to make an opening address (though he or she can also choose to make just a few short remarks, with a more formal speech at a later date), before presiding over the election of the Vice-Presidents and Quaestors.

The President chairs the plenary sittings of Parliament, the Conference of the Presidents of Political Groups and the Bureau of Parliament (made up of the President and the 14 Vice-Presidents, plus the Quaestors in an advisory capacity).

 

The President is responsible for the application of the Rules of Procedure of Parliament, and, to this end, oversees all the activities of Parliament and its bodies.

 

The President represents Parliament in all legal matters.

 

The President addresses the European Council prior to each of its meetings, stating Parliament's viewpoint on the subjects on the agenda in the framework of a debate with the heads of state and government.

 

The President represents Parliament in its international relations, and, in this connection, undertakes official visits within and outside the EU.

 

The President signs the EU budget into being following Parliament's vote on it at second reading. During the procedure, the President chairs the EP/Council conciliation delegations.

 

The President may, under the codecision procedure, chair the EP/Council conciliation committee. Jointly with the President-in-Office of the Council, the President signs all legislative acts adopted by codecision.

 

When an Intergovernmental Conference is held for the reform of the Treaties, the President takes part in the meetings of the government representatives where these are organised at ministerial level. 

Candidates for the posts of Vice-President and Quaestor can also be made either by a political group or by at least 40 Members.  The Vice-Presidential election is also held using a paper-based secret ballot, with a single ballot paper. Candidates must obtain the support of an absolute majority of those casting valid ballots, with a second round held under the same conditions if all 14 posts are not filled on the first round.  A third round can then be held if there are still vacancies, at which point a relative majority is enough for election to one of the remaining positions.  The order in which candidates are elected determines the order of precedence (Rule 14). If the number of candidates proposed is the same as the number of positions to be filled - fourteen - then they will be elected by acclamation, with a vote held simply to determine the order of precedence. A similar procedure is followed for the election of the Quaestors (Rule 15).

 

Vice-Presidents can replace the President in performing his duties when necessary, including chairing plenary sittings. (Rule 20)  They are also members of the Bureau, the body responsible for all administrative, staff and organisational matters of the Parliament.  The Quaestors deal with administrative matters directly affecting MEPs themselves. (Rule 25).  For the two and a half years to come, Parliament will have six Quaestors, as opposed to the normal five, reflecting the temporarily larger number of MEPs following the accession of Romania and Bulgaria.

1952 - 1954 Paul-Henri SPAAK (Soc, BE)

1954  Alcide DE GASPERI (CD, IT)

1954 - 1956 Giuseppe PELLA (CD, IT)

1956 - 1958 Hans FURLER (CD, DE)

1958 - 1960 Robert SCHUMAN (CD, FR)

1960 - 1962 Hans FURLER (CD, DE)

1962 - 1964 Gaetano MARTINO (L, IT)

1964 - 1965 Jean DUVIEUSART (CD, BE)

1965 - 1966 Victor LEEMANS (CD, BE)

1966 - 1969 Alain POHER (CD, FR)

1969 - 1971 Mario SCELBA (CD, IT)

1971 - 1973 Walter BEHRENDT (Soc, DE)

1973 - 1975 Cornelis BERKHOUWER (L, NL)

1975 - 1977 Georges SPENALE (Soc, FR)

1977 - 1979 Emilio COLOMBO (CD, IT)

-  Session of July 1979: Simone VEIL (LDR, FR)

elected on the second ballot with 192 votes (votes cast: 377)

 

Session of January 1982: Pieter DANKERT (PES, NL)

elected on the fourth ballot with 191 votes (votes cast: 366)

 

- Session of July 1984: Pierre PFLIMLIN (EPP, FR)

elected on the second ballot with 221 votes (votes cast: 403)

 

- Session of January 1987: Lord (Henry) PLUMB (ED, UK)

elected on the third ballot with 241 votes (votes cast: 477)

 

- Session of July 1989: Enrique Baron CRESPO (PES, ES)

elected on the first ballot with 301 votes (votes cast: 475)

 

- Session of January 1992: Egon KLEPSCH (EPP, DE)

elected on the first ballot with 253 votes (votes cast: 446)

 

- Session of July 1994: Klaus HÄNSCH (PES, DE)

elected on the first ballot with 365 votes (votes cast: 452)

 

- Session of January 1997: Jose Maria GIL ROBLES (EPP, ES)

elected on the first ballot with 338 votes (votes cast: 515)

 

- Session of July 1999: Nicole FONTAINE (EPP-ED, FR)

elected on the first ballot with 306 votes (votes cast: 555)

 

- Session of January 2002: Pat COX (ELDR, IE)

elected on the third ballot with 298 votes (votes cast: 568)

 

- Session of July 2004: Josep BORRELL FONTELLES (PES, ES)

elected on the first ballot with 388 votes (647 votes cast)

 

- Session of January 2007: Hans-Gert POETTERING (EPP-ED, DE)

elected on the first ballot with 450 votes 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vice-Presidents:
Ms Pery, Ms Fontaine, Messrs. Barzanti, Martin, Peters, Cravinho, Anastassopoulos, Capucho, Romeos, Estgen, Sir Jack Stewart-Clark, Ms Magnani Noya and Mr Verde I Aldea were elected Vice-Presidents on the first ballot.
Ms Isler-Beguin was elected Vice-President on the second ballot.

 

 

 

 

Results of votes:  Number of voters: 534
                                Spoilt ballot papers: 82
                                Votes cast: 452
                                Absolute majority: 227
Result:                  Mr Hänsch: 365 votes
                                Mr Galland: 87 votes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Results of votes:  Number of voters: 592  
                                Spoilt ballot papers: 13
                                Votes cast: 579
                                Absolute majority: 290

Result:                  Mr Cox: 277 votes
                                Mr Martin: 226 votes
                                Mr Bonde: 76 votes
As no candidate obtained an absolute majority of votes cast, a 3rd ballot was needed

 

Results of votes:  Number of voters: 586  
                                Spoilt ballot papers: 18
                                Votes cast: 568
                                Absolute majority: 285

Result:                  Mr Cox: 298 votes
                                Mr Martin: 237 votes
                                Mr Bonde: 33 votes

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alejo VIDAL-QUADRAS ROCA (EPP-ED, ES),  Antonios TRAKATELLIS (EPP-ED, EL), Dagmar ROTH-BEHRENDT (PES, DE), Edward McMILLAN-SCOTT (EPP-ED, UK),  Ingo FRIEDRICH (EPP-ED, DE), Mario MAURO (EPP-ED, IT),  Antonio COSTA (PES, PT),  Luigi COCILOVO (ALDE, IT), Jacek Emil SARYSZ-WOLSKI (EPP/ED, PL), Pierre MOSCOVICI (PES, FR), Miroslav OUZKY (EPP-ED, CZ), Janusz ONYSZKIEWICZ (ALDE, PL), Gérard ONESTA (Greens/EFA, FR), Sylvia-Yvonne KAUFMANN (EUL/NGL, DE) were elected Vice-Presidents on the first ballot.

 

SESSION OF 15-18 JANUARY 2007 - President elected: Hans-Gert Poettering (EPP-ED, DE) 

Number of candidates: 4
Jens-Peter BONDE (IND/DEM, DK), Francis WURTZ (EUL/NGL, FR), Monica FRASSONI (Greens/EFA, IT), Hans Gert POETTERING (EPP-ED, DE)

 

Number of ballots: 1

 

                               Number of voters: 715
                               Spoilt ballot papers 26
                               Votes cast: 689
                               Absolute majority: 345
Result:               Mr Bonde: 46 votes 
                            Mr Wurtz: 48 votes
                            Ms Frassoni : 145 votes

                            Mr Poettering: 450 votes
Mr Poettering obtained an absolute majority and was declared elected.