Jacques Santer
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| Jacques Santer | |
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| In office 1984-07-20 – 1995-01-05 |
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| Preceded by | Pierre Werner |
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| Succeeded by | Jean-Claude Juncker |
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| In office 1995 – 15 March 1999 |
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| Preceded by | Jacques Delors |
| Succeeded by | Manuel Marín |
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| Born | 1937-05-18 Wasserbillig |
| 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 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.
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Pierre Werner |
Prime Minister of Luxembourg 1984–1995 |
Succeeded by Jean-Claude Juncker |
| Preceded by Jacques Delors |
President of the European Commission 1995–1999 |
Succeeded by Manuel Marín |
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