Background
Jean-Claude Juncker was born on December 9, 1954 in Redange, Luxembourg. He is a son of Joseph Juncker and Marguerite Juncker. Juncker was primarily raised in the southern part of the country.
Jean-Claude Juncker was born on December 9, 1954 in Redange, Luxembourg. He is a son of Joseph Juncker and Marguerite Juncker. Juncker was primarily raised in the southern part of the country.
Jean-Claude Juncker attended the Roman Catholic secondary school at Clairefontaine. Later he studied at Lycée Michel Rodange where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1974. In 1975, Juncker entered the University Strasbourg and obtained a Master of Arts degree in Law 1979. In 1980 he was sworn into the Luxembourg Bar Council.
Jean-Claude Juncker has received honorary doctorates from many universities, including the University of Porto, the University of Athens, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Bologna.
Jean-Claude Juncker started his career as chairman at the Christian Social Youth in 1979. He held this post until 1985. He also served as Parliamentary Secretary of the Christian Social Party from 1979 to 1982. In 1982, Juncker received a government post after being named Secretary of Employment and Social Security. Two years later, he was elected to the legislature and was appointed Minister for Work and Employment on July 20, 1984. In 1989, he became governor of the World Bank and held this post until 1995. He left his post of Minister for Work and Employment on August 7, 1999. Juncker also served as Minister for Finances from 1989 to 2009.
Jean-Claude Juncker became chairman of the Christian Social People's Party in 1990. He assumed office as Prime Minister of Luxembourg on January 20, 1995. In 1999, he won the general election and became Prime Minister for a second term. On January 1, 2005, he became President of the Eurogroup. Juncker left the posts of Prime Minister of Luxembourg and Minister for the Treasury on December 4, 2013. The same year, he left the post of President of the Eurogroup. On November 1, 2014, Juncker took up the post of President of the European Commission and held this post until 2019.
Jean-Claude Juncker is a Luxembourgian politician, best-known as former President of the European Commission. He also served as the 23rd Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Minister for Finances, and Minister for the Treasury. Juncker is also known as the longest-serving head of any national government in the European Union.
Juncker has received several international honors, such as the Order of Arts and Letters, Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, Order of Polonia Restituta, Order of the Three Stars, Order of the Redeemer, and National Order of Merit. In 1998, Juncker received the Vision for Europe Award and in 2006 he was awarded the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen. He also received the Order of Merit of Rhineland-Palatinate and the European of the Year prize.
Jean-Claude Juncker joined the Christian Social People's Party in 1974. As Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker became known for accelerating the country's economic performance, which helped Luxembourg reach one of the highest levels of GDP per capita in the world. He also made several official visits abroad to improve ties with other countries. On a visit to Dublin, he managed to mediate a dispute over the European Union Economic and Monetary Union policy between French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. Juncker was dubbed "Hero of Dublin" by the media for achieving the unlikely consensus. Juncker advocated for social integration in Europe along with constituting the so-called "Luxembourg Process." He instigated the "Euro 11," an informal group of European finance ministers for matters regarding his Economic and Monetary Union ideals. Juncker also supported the 2011 military intervention in Libya.
When he became President of the Eurogroup he shaped the response to the sovereign debt crisis, which had led to the downfall of economies within the eurozone. As President of the European Commission Juncker supported the European Union–Mercosur free trade agreement. After a series of terrorist attacks in Europe, Juncker in 2016 called for the creation of a European Union security union. He also defended the Common Agricultural Policy, saying that agriculture employs about 30 million Europeans. Juncker is a strong advocate of a European "solidarity" union.
Jean-Claude Juncker faced accusations from Euroskeptic members of Parliament, who claimed that Juncker had orchestrated a tax-avoidance scheme involving hundreds of multinational companies during his tenure as Prime Minister of Luxembourg. With the aid of his government, companies used to transfer tax liability for billions of euros to Luxembourg, where income tax was levied at a rate lesser than 1%. Juncker, however, denied these claims. He also received much criticism because of his remarks on immigration. During the European Forum Alpbach, he said that borders are the worst invention made by politicians, supporting Angela Merkel's open-door stance to the European migrant crisis.
Quotations:
"I have a lot of understanding for people skeptical about the EU. Because there are legitimate questions to the address about the European Union, including the Commission. You have to answer that. You have to talk to the Eurosceptic people. By the way, sometimes I am myself, I am not free from Euroscepticism sometimes. But I am not on the way to fundamental opposition."
"Anyone who believes that the eternal question of war and peace in Europe is no longer there risks being deeply mistaken."
"My main concern is to protect people from detriment."
"It is not acceptable that European Union countries are divided into those who give and those who take."
"I am against nationalists, but I am very much in favour of patriots."
"Forgetting the importance of national landscapes, cultures, national behaviours, reactions, and reflexes is a big, big mistake."
"From the very beginning, Europe has been not only a success story but also a story of success achieved by learning."
Jean-Claude Juncker is a member of the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences of the Institute of France.
Jean-Claude Juncker is a workaholic and a persevering man. Those who know him said that there were days when Juncker worked 14 hours a day. He is also a heavy smoker.
Physical Characteristics: Juncker suffers from sciatica attacks following a 1989 car accident, which cause him occasional unsteadiness while walking.
Quotes from others about the person
George W. Bush: "I was going to say he's a piece of work, but that might not translate too well. Is that all right, if I call you a 'piece of work'?"
Jean-Claude Junker married Christiane Frising in 1979. The couple doesn't have any children.
