Pat Cox

Pat Cox (Irish Pádraig Mac Choiligh, born November 28, 1952 in Dublin) from 2002 to 2004, President of the European Parliament and Irish MEP. Most recently, he was President of the European Movement International.

Life

Cox studied at Trinity College in Dublin economics. From 1974 to 1982 he was a lecturer in Dublin, then at the University of Limerick. Between 1982 and 1986 he worked as a journalist for the television program Today Tonight.

His political career began with the founding of the Liberal Party Progressive Democrats (PD ) in 1985, he was its general secretary. He was elected to the European Parliament in 1989. After the PD first time in 1992 participated in a coalition government, he moved into the Irish Parliament and was financial spokesman.

1994 Cox moved again in the European Parliament, and was appointed Deputy Finance Chairman. In 1998 he became leader of the ELDR (European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party ). In 1999 he joined after the Irish majority vote at the European elections and represented the Irish Munster region. In 2002 he dissolved due to a conservative-liberal consultation from the Frenchwoman Nicole Fontaine as President of Parliament. His successor as party leader was the Scot Graham Watson.

On 20 May 2004, he was awarded the Charlemagne Prize in Aachen. The Charlemagne Prize Board paid tribute to his contribution to the EU enlargement and democratization of the European Union.

Pat Cox was no longer a candidate for the newly elected Parliament in June 2004. He was regarded as a promising successor to the then Commission President Romano Prodi.

From 2006 to November 2011 was Cox President of the European Movement. As of June 2010 led Pat Cox as Director of the finally successful pro- Lisbon campaign Ireland for Europe. He had accordingly submitted his office temporarily to Charles -Ferdinand Nothomb.

In 2009 he was traded as a candidate for the Irish position in the European Commission. Despite his success in the Irish pro- Lisbon campaign, he was not successful to political and focuses on the work as President of the European Movement. In September 2010, he was involved in the founding of the Spinelli Group, which campaigns for the European federalism. In 2011, he was replaced by Jo Leinen in office. Since June 2012 Cox observed on behalf of the European Parliament the criminal trial of Yulia Tymoshenko in Ukraine.

Awards

• Charles Price

• 2002: Grand Cross of the Star of Romania
• 2004: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
• 2004: Grand Cross of the Order of Three -star
• 2005: Order of Mary's Land - Cross, First Class
• 2010: Grand Gold Medal with Star for Services to the Republic of Austria