Jacques Santer

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Jacques Santer
22nd Prime Minister of Luxembourg
In office 1984-07-20 – 1995-01-05
Preceded by	Pierre Werner
Succeeded by	Jean-Claude Juncker
9th President of the European Commission
In office 1995 – 15 March 1999
Preceded by	Jacques Delors
Succeeded by	Manuel Marín
Born	1937-05-18 Wasserbillig
Nationality	Luxembourgian
Political party	Christian Social People's Party
Religion	Roman Catholic

Jacques Santer (born May 18, 1937) is a politician from Luxembourg.

He was finance minister of Luxembourg from 1979 until 1989, and Prime Minister of Luxembourg from 1984 to 1995, as a member of the Christian Social People's Party, which has been the leading party in the Luxembourg government since 1979. As Prime Minister of Luxembourg he also led the negotiations on the Single European Act, which effectively set aside the 20-year old Luxembourg Compromise.

Santer (far right) at the 1996 G8 summit

The euro was introduced as common currency in most member states. (De Silguy and Santer displaying the €1 coin in 1998)

Santer became head of the European Commission in 1995 as a compromise choice forced by the United Kingdom on the one hand and a Franco-German pre-emptive strategy to force all other EU member states to have Jean-Luc Dehaene (whose nomination UK vetoed) on the other hand.

Allegations of corruption concerning single EU-commissioners led to an investigation into administrative failings (incompetence and malpractice) by an independent group of experts. The report stated that they had not found a single person showing the slightest sense of responsibility. Yet, Jacques Santer and his entire commission resigned on March 15, 1999, the very day of the report's publication (see Santer Commission: Resignation).

From 1999 until 2004, Santer was a member of the European Parliament. He also was on General Mediterranean Holdings' board, a financial holding owned by Anglo-Iraqi Nadhmi Auchi.

[edit] See also

• Santer Ministry

v • d • e Prime Ministers of Luxembourg Gaspard-Théodore-Ignace de la Fontaine • Jean-Jacques Willmar • Charles-Mathias Simons • Baron de Tornaco • Emmanuel Servais • Baron de Blochausen • Édouard Thilges • Paul Eyschen • Mathias Mongenast • Hubert Loutsch • Victor Thorn • Léon Kauffman • Émile Reuter • Pierre Prüm • Joseph Bech • Pierre Dupong • Joseph Bech • Pierre Frieden • Pierre Werner • Gaston Thorn • Pierre Werner • Jacques Santer • Jean-Claude Juncker

v • d • e European Commission Presidents and their Commissions ECSC: Jean Monnet (1952) • René Mayer (1955) • Paul Finet (1958) • Piero Malvestiti (1959) • Rinaldo Del Bo (1963) • Albert Coppé (1963) EAEC: Louis Armand (1958) • Étienne Hirsch (1959) • Pierre Chatenet (1962) EEC: Walter Hallstein (1958)2 EC: Jean Rey (1967) • Franco Maria Malfatti (1970) • Sicco Mansholt (1972) • François-Xavier Ortoli (1973) • Roy Jenkins (1977) • Gaston Thorn (1981) • Jacques Delors (1985)2 EU: Jacques Delors (1993) • Jacques Santer (1995) • Manuel Marín (1999) • Romano Prodi (1999) • José Manuel Barroso (2004) Commission President  · President of the European Council  · Council Presidency  · President of Parliament

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