President of the European Parliament

The President of the European Parliament is the head of the European Parliament. He or she also represents the Parliament within the EU and internationally. The President has to sign that EU laws and the EU budget can become valid.
Presidents serve two-and-a-half-year terms. This time is normally divided between the two major political parties of the European Parliament. There have been twenty-eight Presidents, since the Parliament was created in 1952. Thirteen of whom have served since the first Parliamentary election in 1979. Two Presidents have been women and most have come from the older member states.