Jacques Santer | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 1995 | |
| President of the European Commission | |
| In office 25 January 1995 – 15 March 1999 | |
| Vice President | Leon Brittan |
| Preceded by | Jacques Delors |
| Succeeded by | Manuel Marín(Acting) |
| Prime Minister of Luxembourg | |
| In office 20 July 1984 – 20 January 1995 | |
| Monarch | Jean |
| Deputy | Jacques Poos |
| Preceded by | Pierre Werner |
| Succeeded by | Jean-Claude Juncker |
| Minister for Finances | |
| In office 16 July 1979 – 14 July 1989 | |
| Prime Minister | Pierre Werner Himself |
| Preceded by | Jacques Poos |
| Succeeded by | Jean-Claude Juncker |
| Minister for Labour and Social Security | |
| In office 16 July 1979 – 20 July 1984 | |
| Prime Minister | Pierre Werner |
| Preceded by | Benny Berg |
| Succeeded by | Jean-Claude Juncker |
| Member of theChamber of Deputies | |
| In office 27 June 1974 – 16 July 1979 | |
| Constituency | Centre |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jacques Louis Santer (1937-05-18)18 May 1937 (age 88) Wasserbillig, Luxembourg |
| Party | Christian Social People's Party |
| Other political affiliations | European People's Party |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2, includingPatrick |
| Alma mater | Sciences Po University of Strasbourg |
Jacques Louis Santer (Luxembourgish pronunciation:[ʒaːkˈsɑntə]; born 18 May 1937)[1] is a Luxembourgish politician who served aspresident of the European Commission from 1995 to 1999 before resigning amidst allegations of corruption. He served as thefinance minister of Luxembourg from 1979 until 1989, and asprime minister of Luxembourg from 1984 to 1995, as a member of theChristian Social People's Party (CSV), which was the leading party in the Luxembourgish government between 1979 and 2013. As prime minister of Luxembourg, he also led the negotiations on theSingle European Act, which effectively set aside the 20-year-oldLuxembourg compromise.
Santer graduated in 1959 fromSciences Po, before receiving his doctorate in law from theUniversity of Strasbourg in 1961.[1][2] From 1972 to 1974 he was a junior minister in the Luxembourgish government. From 1979 to 1984 he was Minister of Finance, Minister for Work and Minister for Social Security, underPierre Werner, in the coalition government between theChristian Social People's Party (CSV) and the liberalDemocratic Party.[1]
After thegeneral election of 1984, Werner retired as prime minister and from political life in general, and Santer became the new prime minister.[1] He and the CSV now formed a new coalition with theLuxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP), which had come out of the elections as the second-largest party in the legislature, beating the Democratic Party into third place; the CSV remained the largest party. This CSV/LSAP coalition was to last until 1999.
On 10 November 1990 an article appeared in theZeitung vum Lëtzebuerger Vollek, the title of which translated into "Five years of state secret – The bombingNATO terror commando", which caused a parliamentary inquiry in which Santer was forced to reveal the existence of astay-behind army in Luxembourg and being politically responsible to call for its dissolution.[3] The organisation was active since its creation by the then prime ministerPierre Werner in 1959 and was organised by the secret service of Luxembourg, theService de Renseignement de l'Etat (SREL) and coordinated by theNATO.[3] On 17 December 1990 he told the constitutional committee the organisation had never more than 12 members and was only foreseen to handle intelligence operations, as well as escape and evasion manoeuvers. There were weapons caches established in 1973, but direct access would not have been granted, according to Santer. On 14 October 1990, the remaining members of the organisation were informed and requested to return their radio communication equipment.[4]
Santer became theninth President of the European Commission in 1995 as a compromise choice between the United Kingdom and aFranco-German alliance, after the Franco-German nomineeJean-Luc Dehaene was vetoed byBritish prime ministerJohn Major.[5] Santer's selection was barely ratified by aEuropean Parliament upset with the process for which Commission presidents are selected.[6]
In the same year, 1995, Santer became the first recipient of theVision for Europe Award.
Allegations of corruption concerning individual EU commissioners led to an investigation into administrative failings (incompetence and malpractice) by a so-calledCommittee of Independent Experts. Despite clearing most commissioners, the report stated that they had not found a single person showing the slightest sense of responsibility. Because the implicated commissioners refused to resign and the president of the European Commission did not have the power to dismiss individual commissioners, Santer and his entire commission resigned on 15 March 1999, the very day of the report's publication. As the Commission would only have lasted for half a year from then, he was replaced by Vice-PresidentManuel Marín on an interim basis.
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In the October 1999 communal elections, Santer was the CSV's candidate forMayor of Luxembourg City, with a promise to make the city attractive and "family-friendly".[7] He was unsuccessful, as theDP, headed by incumbent mayorPaul Helminger, remained the largest party onthe city's communal council, and chose to keep his seat at the European Parliament, to which he had been electedin June of that year. He remained anMEP until 2004.
He also was onGeneral Mediterranean Holdings' board, a financial holding owned by Anglo-IraqiNadhmi Auchi.[citation needed]
In January 2012, Santer was appointed to head the board of the Special Purpose Investment Vehicle (SPIV), which was designed to boost the firepower of theEuropean Financial Stability Facility, theeurozone rescue fund.[8]
In May 2013, Santer became an Honorary Member ofSME Europe, the official pro-business organisation of theEuropean People's Party.
Iceland : Grand Cross of theOrder of the Falcon (1990)
Japan : Grand Cordon of theOrder of the Rising Sun (2015)
Luxembourg : Grand Cross of theOrder of the Oak CrownLuxembourg : Grand Cross of theOrder of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Poland : GoldenMedal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis (2008)
Portugal : Grand Cross of theOrder of Prince Henry (1990)Portugal : Grand Cross of theMilitary Order of Christ (1988)
Romania : Grand Cross of theNational Order of Faithful Service (2004)
Italy: Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of Merit of the Italian Republic (26 October 1973)[9]Jacques Santer, born in 1937, graduated from the Institute of Political Studies in Paris (1959) and holds a doctorate in law from the University of Strasbourg (1961).
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Minister for Finances 1979–1989 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Prime Minister of Luxembourg 1984–1995 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of the European Commission 1995–1999 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | President of the CSV 1974–1982 | Succeeded by |
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