title: Parties in the European Council during 2012
text: # Parties in the European Council during 2012
  
  This article describes the party affiliations of leaders of each member-state represented in the European Council during the year 2012. The list below gives the political party that each head of government, or head of state, belongs to at the national level, as well as the European political alliance to which that national party belongs. The states are listed from most to least populous. More populous states have greater influence in the council, in accordance with the system of Qualified Majority Voting.
  
  ## Summary
  
  | Party | 1 January 2012 | 1 January 2012 | 10 February 2012 | 10 February 2012 | 4 April 2012 | 4 April 2012 | 15 May 2012 | 15 May 2012 | 20 June 2012 | 20 June 2012 | 10 July 2012 | 10 July 2012 | 27 August 2012 | 27 August 2012 |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Party | # | QMV | # | QMV | # | QMV | # | QMV | # | QMV | # | QMV | # | QMV |
  | European People's Party | 15 | 202 | 16 | 206 | 15 | 199 | 14 | 170 | 15 | 182 | 14 | 168 | 15 | 182 |
  | Independent | 3 | 48 | 3 | 48 | 3 | 48 | 3 | 48 | 2 | 36 | 2 | 36 | 2 | 36 |
  | Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists | 2 | 41 | 2 | 41 | 2 | 41 | 2 | 41 | 2 | 41 | 2 | 41 | 2 | 41 |
  | Party of European Socialists | 4 | 33 | 3 | 29 | 4 | 36 | 5 | 65 | 5 | 65 | 5 | 65 | 5 | 65 |
  | European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party | 2 | 17 | 2 | 17 | 2 | 17 | 2 | 17 | 2 | 17 | 3 | 31 | 2 | 17 |
  | Party of the European Left | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
  
  ## List of leaders (1 January 2012)
  
  | Member-state | Votes | Leader | National party | European party |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Germany | 29 | Angela Merkel | CDU | EPP |
  | France | 29 | Nicolas Sarkozy | UMP | EPP |
  | United Kingdom | 29 | David Cameron | Con | AECR |
  | Italy | 29 | Mario Monti | Independent | Independent |
  | Spain | 27 | Mariano Rajoy | PP | EPP |
  | Poland | 27 | Donald Tusk | PO | EPP |
  | Romania | 14 | Traian Băsescu | Independent | EPP |
  | Netherlands | 13 | Mark Rutte | VVD | ELDR |
  | Greece | 12 | Lucas Papademos | Independent | Independent |
  | Belgium | 12 | Elio Di Rupo | PS | PES |
  | Portugal | 12 | Pedro Passos Coelho | PPD/PSD | EPP |
  | Czech Republic | 12 | Petr Nečas | ODS | AECR |
  | Hungary | 12 | Viktor Orbán | Fidesz | EPP |
  | Sweden | 10 | Fredrik Reinfeldt | M | EPP |
  | Austria | 10 | Werner Faymann | SPÖ | PES |
  | Bulgaria | 10 | Boyko Borisov | GERB | EPP |
  | Denmark | 7 | Helle Thorning-Schmidt | A | PES |
  | Slovakia | 7 | Iveta Radičová | SDKÚ–DS | EPP |
  | Finland | 7 | Jyrki Katainen | Kok. | EPP |
  | Ireland | 7 | Enda Kenny | FG | EPP |
  | Lithuania | 7 | Dalia Grybauskaitė | Independent | Independent |
  | Latvia | 4 | Valdis Dombrovskis | V | EPP |
  | Slovenia | 4 | Borut Pahor | SD | PES |
  | Estonia | 4 | Andrus Ansip | RE | ELDR |
  | Cyprus | 4 | Demetris Christofias | AKEL | PEL |
  | Luxembourg | 4 | Jean-Claude Juncker | CSV | EPP |
  | Malta | 3 | Lawrence Gonzi | PN | EPP |
  
  ^ Supported by PD-L ^ AKEL holds only observer status with the Party of the European Left.
  
  ## Changes
  
  ### Affiliation
  
  | Date | Member-state | Leader | National party | European party |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 10 February | Slovenia | Janez Janša | SDS | EPP |
  | 4 April | Slovakia | Robert Fico | SMER-SD | PES |
  | 15 May | France | François Hollande | PS | PES |
  | 20 June | Greece | Antonis Samaras | ND | EPP |
  | 10 July | Romania | Crin Antonescu | PNL | ELDR |
  | 27 August | Romania | Traian Băsescu | Independent | EPP |
  
  ^ The party's name was changed to Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDE Party) on 10 November 2012. ^ Supported by PD-L
  
  ### Office-holder only
  
  | Date | Member-state | Leader | National party | European party |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 16 May | Greece | Panagiotis Pikrammenos | Independent | Independent |
  