Snapshots
Juncker and the EU
Juncker with Fernando Teixeira Dos Santos, Portugal's finance minister
34 - delano - February 2011
The Council of the European Union
Juncker with Didier Reynders, Belgium's finance minister (left) and Luc Frieden
Luxembourg Prime Minister and Eurogroup President Jean-Claude Juncker under the global media spotlight
The Council of the European Union
Juncker with German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel
SIP/Jock Fistick
The Council of the European Union
Juncker with European Economy Commissioner Olli Rehn
The Council of the European Union
SIP/Jock Fistick
Luxembourg Prime Minister JeanClaude Juncker finds himself at the centre of what may be the Euro zone’s most existential crisis since it came into use in 2002. In his role as Eurogroup chair, Juncker referees the debate between those who want an extension of the Euro zone’s €750 billion rescue fund--such as Belgium, Spain and the European Central Bank--and those who oppose such a move--namely Germany. While the market has responded positively since the programme was introduced last year to counteract Europe’s sovereign debt crisis, many analysts still publicly speculate about a break-up of the currency union. European ministers met in Brussels January 17 and 18 to discuss a revamp of the scheme, in order to calm market fears that Portugal, Greece or other debt-heavy governments might overwhelm the EU’s emergency lending facility. After the talks, Juncker told the press that leaders of the 17 Euro zone countries attained a “very high level of convergence,” but would not be pressed into setting a deadline for concluding the negotiations. With so many opposing currents, Juncker will surely need to call on all his experience at the eye of the EU storm. AG
SIP/Jock Fistick
CRISIS NEGOTIATOR
Juncker with, from left to right, Austrian Finance Minister Josef Proell, Dutch Finance Minister Jan Kees De Jager, Luxembourg Finance Minister Luc Frieden, and Tonio Fenech, Malta's finance minister
Juncker with Irish Finance Minister Brian Lenihan