Recent weeks have seen the passing of three individuals with significant links to the Institute in its early years.
Mario Soares, President of the Portuguese Republic, visited Europe House on 2 June 1993 during his State Visit to Ireland. He was welcomed to the Institute by its Patron, President Mary Robinson. The President, who was accompanied by the Foreign Minister of Portugal and a parliamentary delegation, received a confidential briefing from Professor Patrick Keatinge, on Common Foreign and Security Policy, and Tony Brown on Enlargement.
Mario Soares, a leading figure in establishing democracy following the collapse of the fascist Salazar regime, served as Prime Minister of Portugal from 1976 to 1978 and from 1983 to 1985 and was President of his country from 1986 to 1996.
Hans Tietmeyer, President of the Deutsche Bundesbank, visited the Institute on 15 March 1996 when he addressed a seminar jointly organised by the EMU and New Germany groups. He spoke about the policies and priorities of the Bundesbank in the context of the Institute’s programme analysing the strategic options facing policy makers in respect of Ireland’s membership of a future monetary union.
Hans Tietmeyer was President of the Deutsche Bundesbank from 1993 to 1999. Between 1982 and 1989 he served as State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Finance and as personal advisor to the Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl.
Dr T.K (Ken) Whitaker, was an early supporter of the Institute of European Affairs and was one of the first one hundred Individual Members recruited in 1992/1993.
