Editor's note

Eastern European politicians are well placed in the Commission as well: three representatives are the Commission’s vice-presidents – Latvian V. Dombrovskis, Estonian A. Ansip and Bulgarian K. Georgieva.

Donald Tusk is the first politician from Eastern and Central European states, which joined the EU in 2004 to take the leading position in the EU hierarchy. Besides, he was the only government leader among the EU states that run successfully through the period of crisis.

Last five years Belgian representative Herman van Rompuy has been the President of the European Council; he was the first EU President according to the new EU Treaty since December 2009.

Short CV

Donald Franciszek Tusk, born 22 April 1957 was Prime Minister of Poland from 2007 to 2014, having also been co-founder and former chairman of the center-right Civic Platform Party (Platforma Obywatelska).

Tusk was officially designated as Prime Minister on 9 November 2007 and took office on 16 November 2007. His cabinet won a vote of confidence in Polish Parliament (the Sejm) on 24 November 2007. He was the longest serving Prime Minister of the Third Republic of Poland. In October 2011, Tusk's Civic Platform won a majority of seats in the Polish parliamentary elections and D. Tusk became the first Prime Minister to be re-elected since the fall of communism in Poland.

Tusk began his public career as an activist in his home town of Gdańsk, supporting Solidarity movement and organizing his fellow university students. With the exception of one four-year stretch, Tusk has served in the Third Republic parliament continuously since its first elections in 1991. He was Vice Marshal (deputy speaker) of the Senate from 1997 to 2001 and Vice Marshal of the Sejm from 2001 to 2005.

On 30 August 2014, it was announced at an extraordinary EU Council meeting that Tusk would be the next President of the European Council; on 9 September 2014, Tusk submitted his resignation as Prime Minister. He becomes the President of the European Council on 1 December 2014 for a period of 2,5 years.

European Council’s competence

The European Council provides the Union with the necessary impetus for its development and defines the EU general political directions and priorities; it shall not exercise legislative functions.

The European Council consists of the Heads of State or Government of the EU 28 member states, together with the Council’s President and the President of the European Commission. Besides, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy takes part in its work.

The European Council meets twice every six months, convened by its President. Decisions of the European Council are taken by consensus, except where the Treaties provide otherwise.

The European Council’s President is elected by a qualified majority, for a term of two and a half years, renewable once.

The President of the European Council has numerous functions. Most important are:

(a) chairing and driving forward the Council’s work;

(b) ensuring the preparation and continuity of the work of the European Council in cooperation with the President of the Commission, and on the basis of the work of the General Affairs Council;

(c) facilitating cohesion and consensus within the European Council;

(d) presenting a report to the European Parliament after each of the meetings of the European Council.

The President of the European Council ensures the external representation of the Union on issues concerning its common foreign and security policy (art. 15 TEU).

Young leaders among the European Council members

In the past 12 months, there has been an injection of youth into the European Council. Just some examples:

= Xavier Bettel became prime minister of Luxembourg last December while still aged just 40.

= Matteo Renzi became prime minister of Italy in February at the age of 39.

= In June, Alexander Stubb succeeded Jyrki Katainen as the prime minister of Finland, at the age of 45.

= Charles Michel became prime minister of Belgium in October at the age of 38.

= Freshest-faced of all is Taavi Rõivas, who in March 2014 became Estonian prime minister at the age of 34.