First among equals

First among equals (primus inter pares in Latin) is a term that refers to the historic role of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom as well as the role of the President of the European Commission.

In the UK, the executive is the cabinet and in times long gone a minister had the role of telling the monarch the proposed legislation in the House of Commons and other matters. This became very useful as the first of these PM's was the only minister in the cabinet who could speak German (the King at the time could not speak English!). In modern times however, although this term is still used, it in effect does not apply considering the vast powers of the Prime Minister.

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It is also used from certain views on the roles of the Pope or the Patriarch of Constantinople. According to those views, the titles do not mean that the holder has special authority over the other bishops; rather, it is an acknowledgement of the historic significance of those sees.

This is not the view of the Roman Catholic Church, which considers the Pope to be Vicar of Christ, successor of Saint Peter, and superior to the rest of the bishops, successors of the Apostles.