A former Irish Prime Minister (Taoiseach), who helped transform the Irish economy into the “Celtic Tiger”, one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.
John Bruton is a former Irish prime minister (Taoiseach), who helped transform the Irish economy into the “Celtic Tiger”, one of the fastest-growing economies in the world in 1997.
In the year before he took office (1993), the Irish economy grew by 2.7%. During his time as Taoiseach (1994-1997), the Irish economy grew at an annual average rate of 8.7%, peaking at 11.1% in 1997.
John Bruton was also deeply involved in the Northern Irish Peace Process leading to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, under whose terms a conflict of allegiances dating back to the seventeenth century was resolved.
While Prime Minister, Ambassador Bruton presided over a successful Irish EU Presidency in 1996 and helped finalise the Stability and Growth Pact, which governs the management of the single European currency, the euro.
Mr Bruton addressed a joint session of the US Congress on September 11, 1996, as only the 30th head of state or government of an EU country to do so since 1945. He was probably the only president in office of the European Council to have addressed a joint session of Congress. Further, he represented the EU at summit meetings with the president of the United States and with the prime ministers of Canada, Japan, China, and Korea.
Before being appointed Ambassador to the United States, John Bruton served as a leading member of the Convention that draughted the proposed European Constitution, which was signed in Rome on October 29, 2004. He strongly supported proposals to give the general public a more direct say in the choice of EU leadership by allowing the public of the 27 EU member states directly to elect the president of the European Commission.
From 1999 until his appointment as ambassador, he was one of ten vice presidents of the European People’s Party, which brings together the leadership of 74 European political parties, many of whom are in government in their countries.
Since 2001 he has…
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