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President of the European Commission

Head of the EU executive branch / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The president of the European Commission is the head of the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union (EU). The president of the Commission leads a cabinet of Commissioners, referred to as the College. The president is empowered to allocate portfolios among, reshuffle, or dismiss Commissioners as necessary. The College directs the commission's civil service, sets the policy agenda and determines the legislative proposals it produces. The commission is the only body that can propose[lower-alpha 2] or draft bills to become EU laws.

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President of the European Commission
European_Commission.svg
Logo of the Commission
Flag_of_Europe.svg
Official_Portrait_of_Ursula_von_der_Leyen.jpg
Incumbent
Ursula von der Leyen
since 1 December 2019
European Commission
StylePresident[lower-alpha 1]
StatusChief Executive
Member ofCollege of Commissioners
European Council
Reports toEuropean Parliament
European Council
SeatBerlaymont, Brussels, Belgium
NominatorEuropean Council
AppointerEuropean Parliament
Term lengthFive years, renewable
Constituting instrumentTreaties of the European Union
Formation1 January 1958
First holderWalter Hallstein
DeputyFirst Vice-President of the European Commission
Salary€25,554 per month[2]
Websiteec.europa.eu
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The Commission president also represents the EU abroad, together with the president of the European Council and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

The post was established in 1958. Each new president is nominated by the European Council and elected by the European Parliament,[lower-alpha 3] for a five-year term.[5][6][7][8]

The president of the commission also delivers an annual State of the Union address to the European Parliament.

In July 2019, the European Council nominated Ursula von der Leyen to succeed Jean-Claude Juncker, and she was elected the 13th president of the European Commission by the European Parliament on 16 July.[9][10] Von der Leyen assumed office on 1 December 2019, following the approval of her nominated College of Commissioners by the European Parliament.[11]