| Author (Person) | Banks, Martin |
|---|---|
| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.8, No.2, 17.01.02, p2 |
| Publication Date | 17/01/2002 |
| Content Type | News |
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Date: 17/01/02 By WHEN Pat Cox became leader of the European Parliament's Liberal group nearly four years ago, few outside Ireland had heard of the Munster MEP. But given his slick election campaign, the smooth-talking former TV presenter is likely to enjoy a far higher public profile than his French predecessor, Nicole Fontaine, in Parliament's top job. His www.cox-for-president.com website, adorned with a youthful-looking portrait of the 49-year-old father of six along with his CV and an impressive photo gallery, underlines that Cox's approach will be highly professional and media-savvy. Born in Dublin, Cox was raised in the south-west of Ireland. He returned to his birthplace to take a master's in economics at Trinity College, where he met his wife-to-be, Cathy. At 22, he joined the Institute of Public Administration in Dublin as a lecturer. Although described by those close to him as 'not outstanding', he went on to teach economics for six years at the University of Limerick. It was at this time that he first tried to enter politics but failed in his attempt to win a local council seat. At the age of 30 Cox changed track in his career, becoming a TV reporter and presenter with the Irish state broadcasting organisation, RTE. Specialising in current affairs, he met many of the figures who were later to become his political friends and foes. Friends say the job gave him more confidence and helped turn him into a polished communicator. In 1986 he became founding general secretary of the Progressive Democrats, a breakaway group from the nationalist Fianna Fail party, which formed part of the coalition administration in the summer of 1989 - the year he also became an MEP. From 1992 he also sat in the Irish Parliament as the member for Cork South Central, however a bitter leadership struggle in the Progressive Democrats resulted in him quitting the party he had helped form. In July 1994, he successfully stood as an independent in the European elections. His rise through the ranks of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform (ELDR) Party was meteoric. Appointed initially as a vice-president, he was elected Liberal group leader in 1998 - the first Irishman to lead a political group in the European Parliament. He played a key role in the fall of the Santer Commission by consistently - and loudly - calling for the disgraced Commissioners to go. His barn-storming speeches attacking the Commission for incompetence further raised his profile. Cox is a populist politician who enjoys his Guinness and spatters his conversation with French phrases and Anglo-Saxon oaths. Following his election, he will find himself in a job involving a huge amount of travelling (which he loathes) and a fair deal of public speaking (which he loves). It also cements his reputation for being one of his generation's cleverest and most adroit politicians. He may be from a small island, but Pat Cox is now very much a big shot in the arena of European politics.
Deputy chef de cabinet is Riccardo Ribera, who did the same job for the departing president, Nicole Fontaine. Meanwhile, David Harley takes up the key post of presidential spokesman, combining that task with running the assembly's information department. His dual role mirrors that of fellow Brit Jonathan Faull, who is both spokesman for Commission President Romano Prodi and director-general of the Commission's press and communication service. Former Liberal group press officer Alison Suttie will join the cabinet as Harley's number two.
Watson, former chairman of the justice and home affairs committee, is MEP for south-west England. Fluent in Italian and French, he is an ex-banker and former editor of the European Parliament's in-house magazine. Article provides a brief profile Pat Cox who was elected as president of the European Parliament on 15 January 2002. |
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| Subject Categories | Politics and International Relations |
