Book review: Jan Werts, The European Council in the era of crises. London: John Harper Publishing, 2021

Werts’ book sheds light on the legal, political, and institutional factors that have forged the EUCO’s powers and role, focusing specifically on its capacity to deal with recent crises. The European Council (EUCO) is a puzzling element in the EU institutional architecture. In principle, the meeting of the Heads of State and Government is an intergovernmental forum where all Member States are represented by their political leaders and decide by consensus, as in most international organizations. And yet, when inserted within the EU supranational system, the European Council reveals itself as the most elusive and ambiguous institution. Let alone for this reason, the book of Jan Werts, which is entirely devoted to an in-depth analysis of the tasks, structures, and functioning of the EUCO, is a valuable contribution to the political and institutional debate on the EU.