Santer, Jacques (1937 - )

Jacques Santer (Photo: EP)
As Prime Minister of Luxembourg (1984-1995), Jacques Santer led the negotiations on the Single European Act, which effectively set aside the 20-year old Luxembourg Compromise.

Santer subsequently became President of the EU Commission when the UK vetoed the nomination of the Belgian Prime Minister Jean-Luc Dehaene, preferring the similarly, federalist but supposedly weaker, Santer. He and the rest of his Commission resigned on 15th March 1999 following 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.

Since 1999, Santer has been a Christian Democratic member of the EU Parliament. EPP.

Links

See also Censure, Andreasen and Buitenen.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/297643.stm