Jean-Claude Juncker was born on 9 December 1954, in Redange, Luxembourg. He is a politician, best known for being the President of the European Commission since 2014. He was previously the Prime Minister of Luxembourg before his current role; all his endeavors have helped to put his net worth to where it is today.
How rich is Jean-Claude Juncker? As of mid-2016, sources inform us of a net worth that is at $2.6 million, mostly accumulated through an extensive career in politics. Jean has served in various political positions including as Luxembourg’s Minister of Finance. He’s been part of various political groups, and as he continues his career his wealth will likely increase.
Jean-Claude Juncker Net Worth $2.6 Million
Juncker attended the ecole apostolique in Belgium before gaining his Baccalaureate from the Lycee Michel Rodange in Luxembourg. He then went to study law at the University of Strasbourg, graduating in 1979, and becoming a member of the Luxembourg Bar Council in 1980.
During his first term as Prime Minister from 1995, Jean-Claude focused on travelling abroad to improve international ties and help Luxembourg’s profile. He sought out improvements in the economy, especially fighting against unemployment. In 1999, he was elected for a second term and in 2005 he would also gain a second term as President of the European Council. Eventually, with controversies and issues surrounding the government such as allegations of illegal bugging and bribery, Juncker resigned. He was succeeded by Xavier Bettel.
In 2004, Juncker became the first permanent president of the Eurogroup. He would be re-appointed in 2006 and would remain in the role until 2013. During his tenure as leader, much of his time was focused on negotiating bailout packages for European countries that were having financial difficulties such as Spain, Greece, Portugal and Ireland.
In 2014, an election for the President of the European Commission was held and Jean-Claude became the lead candidate, defeating Michel Barnier. Eventually, after much debate and disagreements, Juncker was proposed as a candidate for Presidency. After the nomination, he visited various political groups, and rumors were spreading on how Juncker had a plan to create something similar to a United States of Europe. He denied those rumors immediately, and eventually won with 422 votes in favor of his candidacy.
Shortly after getting elected, controversy came his way as various media outlets reported on a document leak (LuxLeaks) on how many corporations were setting-up in Luxembourg for reasons of tax avoidance. According to reports, billions of euros worth were sent to Luxembourg where taxes were just a fraction compared to other countries. Despite motions against him, a large majority still defended Juncker. He was also questioned in terms of the way he greeted people during the 2015 EU Summit, calling the Hungarian premier a “dictator”, and even patting Karl-Heinz Lambertz belly. According to reports, it was just because Jean had a very informal way of greeting other members.
For his personal life, Jean-Claude has been married to Christiane Frising since 1979, though not much information is known about their family life. He is known to be a Roman Catholic.
