| Congress
| Incoming ESH President |
| I | 1978 Malmö (Sweden) | Dietrich Langen (Germany) and Peo Olof Wikström (Sweden) |
| II | 1981 Dubrovnik (Yugoslavia) | Marjan Pajntar (Yugoslavia) |
| III | 1984 Abano Terme (Italy) | David Waxman (UK) |
| IV | 1987 Oxford (UK) | Walter Bongartz (Germany) |
| V | 1990 Konstanz (Germany) | 1990 – 1991: Günther Bartle (Austria)
1991 – 1993: Erik Bölcs (Austria) |
| VI | 1993 Vienna (Austria) | Eva Bányai (Hungary) |
| VII | 1996 Budapest (Hungary) | 1996 – 1997: Joop Verlinden (Netherlands)
1997 – 1999: H. de Berk (Netherlands) |
| VIII | 1999 Noordwijkerhout (Netherlands) | Camillo Loriedo (Italy) |
| IX | 2002 Rome (Italy) | Shaul Livnay (Israel) |
| X | 2005 Gozo (Malta) | Mhairi McKenna (UK) |
| XI | 2008 Vienna (Austria) | Matthias Mende (Austria) |
| XII | 2011 Istanbul (Turkey) | Nicole Ruysschaert (Belgium) |
| XIII | 2014 Sorrento (Italy) | Consuelo Casula (Italy) |
| XIV | 2017 Manchester (UK) | 2017 – 2019 Martin Wall (UK)
2019 – 2020 Gerard Fitoussi (France) |
| XV | 2020 Basel (Switzerland) Virtual | Kathleen Long (UK) |
| XVI | 2023 Antalya (Turkey) | Gerard Fitoussi (France) |
