Jacques Santer Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids His Excellency Jacques Santer
Santer in 1996

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)
22nd Prime Minister of Luxembourg
In office 20 July 1984 – 26 January 1995
Monarch	Jean
Preceded by	Pierre Werner
Succeeded by	Jean-Claude Juncker
Minister of Finances
In office 16 July 1979 – 14 July 1989
Prime Minister	Pierre Werner Himself
Preceded by	Jacques Poos
Succeeded by	Jean-Claude Juncker
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office 10 June 1979 – 4 January 1995

Personal details
Born	Jacques Louis Santer (1937-05-18) 18 May 1937 (age 88) Wasserbillig, Luxembourg
Political party	Christian Social People's European People's
Spouse	Danièle Binot (m. 1967)
Children	Patrick, Jérôme
Alma mater	University of Paris University of Amsterdam

Jacques Santer (born 18 May 1937) is a politician from Luxembourg. He was the ninth President of the European Commission from 1995 to 1999. Before that, he served as the finance minister of Luxembourg from 1979 to 1989. He was also the 22nd prime minister of Luxembourg from 1984 to 1995.

Santer was a member of the Christian Social People's Party (CSV). This party was very important in Luxembourg's government for many years. As Prime Minister, he helped negotiate the Single European Act. This important agreement changed how European countries worked together.

Early Life and Political Start
- Becoming Prime Minister
Leading the European Commission
- Resignation from the Commission
After the Commission
Awards and Recognitions
See also

Early Life and Political Start

Jacques Santer finished his studies in 1959 at the Paris Institute of Political Studies. He then earned a law degree in 1961.

From 1972 to 1974, he worked as a junior minister in the government. Later, from 1979 to 1984, he became the Minister of Finance. He also held roles as Minister for Work and Minister for Social Security. He worked under Prime Minister Pierre Werner during this time.

Becoming Prime Minister

After the 1984 election in Luxembourg, Pierre Werner retired. Jacques Santer then became the new prime minister. His party, the CSV, formed a new government with the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP). This partnership lasted until 1999.

Leading the European Commission

Santer meets with Luxembourgish Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker in 1997.

In 1995, Santer became the ninth President of the European Commission. This was a very important job in Europe. He was chosen after some disagreements between countries. The European Parliament approved his selection, but it was a close vote.

In the same year, 1995, Santer received the first Vision for Europe Award. This award recognizes people who have a clear vision for the future of Europe.

Resignation from the Commission

Later, some problems came up regarding how the European Commission was managed. An investigation looked into these issues. The report from this investigation pointed out that there were problems with how things were handled. Because of this, Santer and his entire team of commissioners decided to resign on 15 March 1999. This happened on the same day the report was made public.

After the Commission

From 1999 to 2004, Santer continued his political career. He became a member of the European Parliament. This allowed him to keep working on European issues.

Santer in 2024.

He is currently the President of Group Europe. This group is part of the Union of European Federalists. He also serves on the board of directors for RTL Group. This is a large international company that works in TV broadcasting.

In 2012, Jacques Santer was chosen to lead a special financial group. This group was created to help strengthen the European Financial Stability Facility. This facility is important for helping countries in the eurozone if they face financial difficulties.

In 2013, Santer became an Honorary Member of SME Europe. This organization supports businesses within the European People's Party.