Changes

The Council consists of representatives of each member state. These representatives change depending on what the purpose of the Council's meeting is and what is being discussed (for example, the ministers of finance of each country may attend a meeting on fiscal policy).

The Council consists of representatives of each member state. These representatives change depending on what the purpose of the Council's meeting is and what is being discussed (for example, the ministers of finance of each country may attend a meeting on fiscal policy).

The Commission functions roughly as the EU's executive branch. It consists of 27 Commissioners, one nominated by each member state, though on taking office the Commissioners are required to put aside their allegiance to their own countries and to act in the interests of the EU as a whole. The President of the Commission acts to some extent as a figurehead for the EU, and is the nearest thing there is to a "President of Europe". The current Commission President is [[José Manuel Barroso]], a conservative and a former Prime Minister of Portugal. Perhaps the most notorious Commission President was [[Jacques Delors]] (1985-1995), a French socialist who passionately favoured European integration.

The Commission functions roughly as the EU's executive branch. It consists of 27 Commissioners, one nominated by each member state, though on taking office the Commissioners are required to put aside their allegiance to their own countries and to act in the interests of the EU as a whole. The President of the Commission acts to some extent as a figurehead for the EU, and is the nearest thing there is to a "President of Europe". The current Commission President is [[José Manuel Barroso]], a conservative and a former Prime Minister of Portugal. Perhaps the best known Commission President was [[Jacques Delors]] (1985-1995), a French socialist who passionately favoured European integration. A personal enemy of Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]], he was famously attacked by the conservative British tabloid newspaper ''The Sun'' with the slogan "Up yours, Delors".

The European Parliament consists of 785 members directly elected by the citizens of the member states. National parties sit in broad Europe-wide groupings: for example, most members of left-wing parties sit together as the "Party of European Socialists". No party grouping currently has an overall majority, but the main conservative grouping (the European People's Party) currently has the largest number of seats (277).

The European Parliament consists of 785 members directly elected by the citizens of the member states. National parties sit in broad Europe-wide groupings: for example, most members of left-wing parties sit together as the "Party of European Socialists". No party grouping currently has an overall majority, but the main conservative grouping (the European People's Party) currently has the largest number of seats (277).