Jacques Santer was born on 18 May 1937 and is a Luxembourgish politician who served as the ninth president of the European Commission from 1995 to 1999.
11 Facts About Jacques Santer
2.
Jacques Santer served as Finance Minister of Luxembourg from 1979 until 1989, and the 20th Prime Minister of Luxembourg from 1984 to 1995, as a member of the Christian Social People's Party, which was the leading party in the Luxembourg government between 1979 and 2013.
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Jacques Santer graduated in 1959 from the Paris Institute of Political Studies, and received his doctorate in law in 1961.
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Jacques Santer became the ninth President of the European Commission in 1995 as a compromise choice between the United Kingdom and a Franco-German alliance, after the Franco-German nominee Jean-Luc Dehaene was vetoed by British prime minister John Major.
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Jacques Santer's selection was barely ratified by a European Parliament upset with the process for which Commission presidents are selected.
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From 1999 until 2004, Jacques Santer was a member of the European Parliament.
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Jacques Santer was on General Mediterranean Holdings' board, a financial holding owned by Anglo-Iraqi Nadhmi Auchi.
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Jacques Santer is currently President of Group Europe, a member section of the Union of European Federalists.
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Jacques Santer sits on the board of directors of RTL Group, an international TV broadcasting and production company.
10.
On Monday 23 January 2012, Jacques Santer was appointed to head the board of the Special Purpose Investment Vehicle, which is designed to boost the firepower of the European Financial Stability Facility, the eurozone rescue fund.
11.
In May 2013, Jacques Santer became Honorary Member of SME Europe, the official pro-business organisation of the European People's Party.