EU summit analysis
I did this for the first time in June this year; this is a second post listing participants in the European Council meeting taking place yesterday and today. Those in italics are not full members. Various other hopefuls are also here hanging around the fringes.
Jean-Claude Juncker (born 1954), Prime Minister of Luxembourg since 20 January 1995 (EPP)
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (born 1960) Prime Minister of Spain since 17 April 2004 (PES)
Lawrence Gonzi (born 1953) Prime Minister of Malta since 1 May 2004 (EPP)
José Manuel Barroso (Portuguese, born 1956) President of the European Commission since 23 November 2004 (EPP)
José Sócrates (born 1957) Prime Minister of Portugal since 12 March 2005 (PES)
Andrus Ansip (born 1956) Prime Minister of Estonia since 12 April 2005 (ELDR)
Fredrik Reinfeldt (born 1965) Prime Minister of Sweden since 6 October 2006 (EPP)
Angela Merkel (born 1954) Chancellor of Germany since 22 November 2005 (EPP)
Nicolas Sarkozy (born 1955) President of France since 16 May 2007 (EPP)
Donald Tusk (born 1957) Prime Minister of Poland since 16 November 2007 (EPP)
Dimitris Christofias (born 1946) President of [Greek] Cyprus since 28 February 2008 (PEL)
Brian Cowen (born 1960) Taoiseach since 07 May 2008 (ELDR)
Silvio Berlusconi (born 1936) Prime Minister of Italy since 8 May 2008 (EPP) - previously PM 1994-95 and 2001-06
Borut Pahor (born 1963) Prime Minister of Slovenia since 21 November 2008 (PES)
Werner Faymann (born 1960) Chancellor of Austria since 02 December 2008 (PES)
Andrius Kubilius (born 1956) Prime Minister of Lithuania since 09 December 2008 (EPP) - previously PM in 1999-2000, before Lithuania joined the EU
Emil Boc (born 1966) Prime Minister of Romania since 22 December 2008 (EPP)
Valdis Dombrovskis (born 1971) Prime Minister of Latvia since 12 March 2009 (EPP)
Lars Løkke Rasmussen (born 1964) Prime Minister of Denmark since 05 April 2009 (ELDR)
Jerzy Buzek (Polish, born 1940) President of the European Parliament since 14 July 2009 (EPP)
Boyko Borisov (born 1959) Prime Minister of Bulgaria since 27 July 2009 (EPP)
George Papandreou (born 1952) Prime Minister of Greece since 06 October 2009 (PES)
Yves Leterme (born 1960) Prime Minister of Belgium since 25 November 2009 (EPP) - still surviving as caretaker prime minister, six months after losing the election
Herman van Rompuy (Belgian, born 1947) President of the European Council since 01 December 2009 (EPP)
David Cameron (born 1966) Prime Minister of United Kingdom since 11 May 2010 (ECR)
Viktor Orbán (born 1963) Prime Minister of Hungary since 29 May 2010 (EPP) - previously PM 1998-2002, before Hungary joined the EU
Mari Kiviniemi (born 1968) Prime Minister of Finland since 22 June 2010 (ELDR)
Iveta Radičová (born 1956) Prime Minister of Slovakia since 8 July 2010 (ECR)
Petr Nečas (born 1964) Prime Minister of the Czech Republic since 13 July 2010 (EPP)
Mark Rutte (born 1967) Prime Minister of the Netherlands since 14 October 2010 (ELDR)
Jean-Claude Juncker has been in power for longer than any two of the others put together. The median political longevity in June was held by Cowen, who had then been in power for just over two years; now it is Faymann, who has also been in power for just over two years. There have been four changes since the June summit, which itself had had two new faces from the previous European Council meeting.
14 of the 27 heads of state and government, and the presidents of all three EU institutions, are in the European People's Party. (Though Leterme is on his way out.) 5 are in the Party of European Socialists. Another 5 (three of whom - Cowen, Ansip and Kiviniemi - face elections in the near future) are Liberals. British PM Cameron is now joined around the table by fellow ECR member Nečas. Christofias remains the only Communist. (Net changes since June: Socialists down one, Liberals and ECR up one, independents out.)
There are three women, Merkel, Kiviniemi and Radičová (up two since June).
The recent changes bring the average year of birth from 1956 to 1959, the year that Bulgarian PM Borisov was born, with 18 of the 30 born between 1954 and 1964 inclusive. Buzek is older than any of the national leaders except Berlusconi; Van Rompuy is older than any except Berlusconi and Christofias.
8 of the 27 were born before their countries were independent (counting the Czechs and Slovaks, but not counting Merkel, though she is East German). 17 of the 27 have lived under dictatorship, communism and/or colonial rule. Europe has come a long way.
I am still younger than all of them except the Latvian and Finnish prime ministers. (Mark Rutte is ten weeks older than me.)
To be continued next time...
Jean-Claude Juncker (born 1954), Prime Minister of Luxembourg since 20 January 1995 (EPP)
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (born 1960) Prime Minister of Spain since 17 April 2004 (PES)
Lawrence Gonzi (born 1953) Prime Minister of Malta since 1 May 2004 (EPP)
José Manuel Barroso (Portuguese, born 1956) President of the European Commission since 23 November 2004 (EPP)
José Sócrates (born 1957) Prime Minister of Portugal since 12 March 2005 (PES)
Andrus Ansip (born 1956) Prime Minister of Estonia since 12 April 2005 (ELDR)
Fredrik Reinfeldt (born 1965) Prime Minister of Sweden since 6 October 2006 (EPP)
Angela Merkel (born 1954) Chancellor of Germany since 22 November 2005 (EPP)
Nicolas Sarkozy (born 1955) President of France since 16 May 2007 (EPP)
Donald Tusk (born 1957) Prime Minister of Poland since 16 November 2007 (EPP)
Dimitris Christofias (born 1946) President of [Greek] Cyprus since 28 February 2008 (PEL)
Brian Cowen (born 1960) Taoiseach since 07 May 2008 (ELDR)
Silvio Berlusconi (born 1936) Prime Minister of Italy since 8 May 2008 (EPP) - previously PM 1994-95 and 2001-06
Borut Pahor (born 1963) Prime Minister of Slovenia since 21 November 2008 (PES)
Werner Faymann (born 1960) Chancellor of Austria since 02 December 2008 (PES)
Andrius Kubilius (born 1956) Prime Minister of Lithuania since 09 December 2008 (EPP) - previously PM in 1999-2000, before Lithuania joined the EU
Emil Boc (born 1966) Prime Minister of Romania since 22 December 2008 (EPP)
Valdis Dombrovskis (born 1971) Prime Minister of Latvia since 12 March 2009 (EPP)
Lars Løkke Rasmussen (born 1964) Prime Minister of Denmark since 05 April 2009 (ELDR)
Jerzy Buzek (Polish, born 1940) President of the European Parliament since 14 July 2009 (EPP)
Boyko Borisov (born 1959) Prime Minister of Bulgaria since 27 July 2009 (EPP)
George Papandreou (born 1952) Prime Minister of Greece since 06 October 2009 (PES)
Yves Leterme (born 1960) Prime Minister of Belgium since 25 November 2009 (EPP) - still surviving as caretaker prime minister, six months after losing the election
Herman van Rompuy (Belgian, born 1947) President of the European Council since 01 December 2009 (EPP)
David Cameron (born 1966) Prime Minister of United Kingdom since 11 May 2010 (ECR)
Viktor Orbán (born 1963) Prime Minister of Hungary since 29 May 2010 (EPP) - previously PM 1998-2002, before Hungary joined the EU
Mari Kiviniemi (born 1968) Prime Minister of Finland since 22 June 2010 (ELDR)
Iveta Radičová (born 1956) Prime Minister of Slovakia since 8 July 2010 (ECR)
Petr Nečas (born 1964) Prime Minister of the Czech Republic since 13 July 2010 (EPP)
Mark Rutte (born 1967) Prime Minister of the Netherlands since 14 October 2010 (ELDR)
Jean-Claude Juncker has been in power for longer than any two of the others put together. The median political longevity in June was held by Cowen, who had then been in power for just over two years; now it is Faymann, who has also been in power for just over two years. There have been four changes since the June summit, which itself had had two new faces from the previous European Council meeting.
14 of the 27 heads of state and government, and the presidents of all three EU institutions, are in the European People's Party. (Though Leterme is on his way out.) 5 are in the Party of European Socialists. Another 5 (three of whom - Cowen, Ansip and Kiviniemi - face elections in the near future) are Liberals. British PM Cameron is now joined around the table by fellow ECR member Nečas. Christofias remains the only Communist. (Net changes since June: Socialists down one, Liberals and ECR up one, independents out.)
There are three women, Merkel, Kiviniemi and Radičová (up two since June).
The recent changes bring the average year of birth from 1956 to 1959, the year that Bulgarian PM Borisov was born, with 18 of the 30 born between 1954 and 1964 inclusive. Buzek is older than any of the national leaders except Berlusconi; Van Rompuy is older than any except Berlusconi and Christofias.
8 of the 27 were born before their countries were independent (counting the Czechs and Slovaks, but not counting Merkel, though she is East German). 17 of the 27 have lived under dictatorship, communism and/or colonial rule. Europe has come a long way.
I am still younger than all of them except the Latvian and Finnish prime ministers. (Mark Rutte is ten weeks older than me.)
To be continued next time...