Bertie Ahern
Patrick Bartholomew ( " Bertie " ) Ahern (Irish Pádraig Ó Parthalán hEachthairn; born September 12, 1951 in Dublin ) is a financial and economists as well as Irish politician. From 1997 to May 2008 and Ahern, the Prime Minister ( Taoiseach ) of Ireland. He is a member of the Fianna Fáil party.
Biography
Bertie Ahern was educated at University College Dublin and at the London School of Economics and Political Science, without studying at the LSE However, to have completed.
He is since 1977 Deputy ( Teachta Dala ) in Dáil Éireann, the Irish Parliament, and upholds to this day the constituency of Dublin Central. Ahern was a member of the governments of Charles Haughey and J. Albert Reynolds as Minister of Defense (1982 ), Minister of Labour (1987-1991), Minister of Finance (1991-1994) and also for a short time deputy Prime Minister ( Tánaiste ). During his tenure as finance minister, he was also a member of the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund, and from 1991 to 1992 President of the European Investment Bank.
In 1994 he became the sixth president of Fianna Fáil party by Albert Reynolds and opposition leader in the Irish Parliament in the reign of John Bruton. Irish Prime Minister he was since 26 June 1997 up to 2007 was a two-party coalition, which was also supported by several independent MPs. In the parliamentary elections on 24 May 2007 Fianna Fáil won 78 of 166 seats in parliament. This unexpectedly clear his party's victory was attributed to the great popularity Ahern; He is the first Irish prime minister since the Second World War, which won three elections in a row.
In the first half of 2004 he was chairman of the European Council as the successor to Silvio Berlusconi (Italy). On June 27, 2004, he officially proposed before José Manuel Durão Barroso as the new President of the European Commission.
Effective May 6, 2008 Ahern resigned from his position as Prime Minister and party chairman after he stood by allegations of accepting private donations under strong political pressure for months. With this move, he wanted to maintain the prestige of office and party, consider themselves but innocent. His successor in both positions was Brian Cowen.
End of December 2010 announced Ahern, to the Dáil not to run in the next election.
Bertie Ahern has two daughters: Georgina is married to Nicky Byrne, and the writer Cecelia Ahern.