EU/IRELAND: FORMER IRISH PM BRUTON APPOINTED NEXT

UNCLAS DUBLIN 001331

SIPDIS

STATE FOR ECA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV EU PINR
SUBJECT: EU/IRELAND: FORMER IRISH PM BRUTON APPOINTED NEXT
EU AMBASSADOR TO US



1. On September 9, Former Taoiseach (Prime Minister) and
current member of the Irish Parliament John Bruton was
appointed EU Ambassador to the US. He is the first EU
ambassador to the US to be chosen since the European
Commission's decision to give the appointment to a political
heavyweight in order to gain wider influence in the US.
Bruton's appointment was seen by all major Irish political
parties as a positive step by the EU to increase its US
profile and improve US-EU relations. Newspapers state
Bruton's appointment reflects the EU's hope to gain from
Ireland's experience in building contacts with Members of
Congress. Bruton, who favors close ties between the US and
EU, likely will take up his position in the US in November.
Biographical information follows:

===============
John Bruton Bio
===============


2. John Bruton was first elected to the Dail (Irish
Parliament) in 1969 at the age of 22 and in 1980 took part in
the USG's International Visitor (IV) program. He had a
successful career as a Fine Gael TD, twice serving as Finance
Minister in the 1980s. In 1990 he was elected as the leader
of Fine Gael, following a disastrous performance by the party
in the presidential election earlier that year. Bruton
reinvigorated the party and was elected Taoiseach in 1994.
He led a coalition government of Fine Gael, Labour, and a
small post-communist party called the Democratic Left.
Observers widely expected Bruton to win the 1997 general
election, but public anger with Labour caused the loss of
critical seats and left the coalition short of a majority.
This paved the way for Bertie Ahern's Fianna Fail to enter
into government with the Progressive Democrats.


3. Bruton is a considered a conservative member of Fine
Gael, and he spent most of the 1980s advocating Thatcherite
economic steps such as reforming welfare, cutting public
spending, and encouraging private enterprise. While these
views made him unpopular with many voters, his economic
policies played a key role in creating the "Celtic tiger"
economy and Ireland enjoyed annual double-digit GDP growth
during Bruton,s leadership. Although he identifies himself
as a conservative Catholic, Bruton,s government was the
driving force during the 1997 referendum legalizing divorce
and the 1995 legislation that permitted Irish women to
receive information on foreign abortion clinics.


4. Bruton favored a balanced approach to Northern Ireland,
and won widespread approval from the public for his handling
of the issue. He was very critical of the IRA and Sinn Fein,
and insisted on IRA disarmament before Sinn Fein was admitted
to any negotiations. His hardline stance against nationalist
paramilitaries and well-known sympathies for Ulster loyalists
led many nationalist leaders to nickname him "Unionist John",
but he often antagonized the United Kingdom by criticizing
the behavior of the British Army and the RUC (the former
police force in Northern Ireland).


5. Bruton is a well-known Atlanticist who strongly favored
allowing the United States to use Shannon Airport during the
1991 Gulf War. The 2003 Greek Presidency invited him and a
number of other dignitaries to prepare a paper on improving
US-European relations. He is a strong supporter of European
integration, and played a key role in the creation of the
euro by negotiating the European Growth and Stability Pact at
the 1996 Dublin summit. He also was the Irish Parliament's
representative at the EU Constitutional Convention and
reportedly played an important role.
KENNY