The Union has several other presidents , such as the president of the European Parliament and the president of the European Commission . But the President of the European Council , casually but wrongly known as The President of Europe , is the face by which the European Union is known to the rest of the world . The President of the European Council ( sometimes incorrectly referred to as the President of the European Union ) is a principal representative of the European Union ( EU ) on the world stage , and the person presiding over and driving forward the work of the European Council .