The European Council after Van Rompuy

On the eve of the extraordinary European Council of 23 April 2015 to discuss migration issues, this Tribune by Philippe de Schoutheete, member of our Board of directors, reproduces a lecture given at the Royal Academy of Belgium on March 12, 2015, as part of the series of conferences of the “Collège Belgique”. It analyses the exercise of the function of President of the European Council.

The Tribune is divided into 5 main parts:

1. An established authority
2. A balanced visibility
3. An agenda dominated by emergencies
4. A sensitivity towards the concerns of member states
5. Pacified inter-institutional relations