Jean-Claude Juncker

The President is the head of the European Commission. According to the Treaties, he decides on the organisation of the Commission, allocates portfolios to members of the Commission and can make changes at any time. The President also determines the Commission's policy agenda, defending the general European interest. The President was elected by the European Parliament on the basis of his Political Guidelines that were formed drawing on his contacts with the parliamentary committees and the strategic guidelines for the Union presented by the European Council of 27 June 2014:

• A New Boost for Jobs, Growth and Investment
• A Connected Digital Single Market
• A Resilient Energy Union with a Forward-Looking Climate Change Policy
• A Deeper and Fairer Internal Market with a Strengthened Industrial Base
• A Deeper and Fairer Economic and Monetary Union
• A Reasonable and Balanced Free Trade Agreement with the U.S.
• An Area of Justice and Fundamental Rights Based on Mutual Trust
• A New Policy on Migration
• A Stronger Global Actor
• A Union of Democratic Change

The President chairs the weekly Commission meetings and sets its policy agenda.

He represents the Commission in:

• European Council meetings
• G7 and G20 summits
• Bilateral summits with third countries
• Major debates in the European Parliament and the Council (with representatives of national governments)