Pat Cox
Encyclopedia
Pat Cox is an Irish politician and former television current affairs
presenter. He was President
of the European Parliament
from 2002 to 2004 and served as a member of the European Parliament
from 1989–2004.
Before this Cox was a journalist and presenter with RTÉ
's Today Tonight
and then a Teachta Dála
(TD) for Cork South Central
. He is now the President of the European Movement International.
, Cox was educated at Ardscoil Rís
in Limerick, the University of Limerick
and Trinity College, Dublin
. Cox is married to Cathy, and lived at Ashboro, Shanakiel in the Cork
northside suburb of Sunday's Well for 16 years.
's Today Tonight
, a four nights a week current affairs programme which dominated the Irish television schedules in the 1980s. He stood as a Fianna Fáil
candidate at the 1979 local elections. Cox left the programme to become a political candidate. He was elected an MEP
in 1989
for the constituency of Munster
, representing the Progressive Democrats
(PDs). At the 1992 general election
he was also elected to Dáil Éireann
as a Teachta Dála
(TD) for Cork South Central
.
Following Desmond O'Malley
's retirement from the party leadership in 1993, Cox stood for election to the post, but was beaten by Mary Harney
. Cox became deputy leader.
. It was expected that Cox would not contest his seat in the 1994 European Elections, with O'Malley, who had a large Munster base in Limerick City and County Limerick
, becoming the party candidate. However Cox then decided to contest the seat as an independent, beating O'Malley, the PD candidate. On being elected, he resigned his Dáil seat and a by-election was held on 10 November 1994, which was won by Fine Gael
.
He was elected president of the ELDR group
in the European Parliament in 1998 and was unanimously re-elected Group President in June 1999 following the elections to the European Parliament. He resigned this post when he became President of the European Parliament on 15 January 2002 in accordance with an agreement between the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and the ELDR groups at the start of the term (in the customary two-way split of the five-year Presidency of the European Parliament). He succeeded the Frenchwoman Nicole Fontaine
. At his first press conference following his election as president he spoke positively of direct talks between the Cypriot
President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot President Rauf Denktaş
.
In July 2003 Cox took a personal telephone apology from Silvio Berlusconi
after Berlusconi managed to offend several MEPs. The controversy arose after Berlusconi compared a German MEP to a Nazi concentration camp commandant.
On 20 May 2004 he was awarded the Charlemagne Prize (Karlspreis) for his achievements with regard to the enlargement of the European Union
and for his work in promoting greater EU democratisation.
Cox did not contest the 2004 elections to the European parliament
. The Christian Democrats (European People's Party – EPP) and Socialist Groups agreed at the customary two-way split of the Presidency of the European Parliament. Josep Borrell Fontelles
, a Spanish Socialist, assumed the Presidency on 20 July 2004, holding it until 15 January 2007.
Cox is a member of the Comite d'Honneur of the Institute of European Affairs. In 2006 he was elected President of European Movement
, an international pro European lobby association. In June 2009 Pat Cox temporarily stepped down as President and took over the position of the campaign director for the pro Lisbon treaty initiative Ireland for Europe
.
On 15 September 2010 Cox supported the new initiative Spinelli Group
, which was founded to reinvigorate the strive for federalisation of the European Union (EU). Other prominent supporters are: Jacques Delors
, Daniel Cohn-Bendit
, Guy Verhofstadt
, Andrew Duff
, Elmar Brok
.
He is a Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania
and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
. He received the 2004 Charlemagne Prize for his efforts in the Eastward expansion of the European Union.
to get the party's nomination. Fine Gael's national executive on 16 June 2011 approved his application to join the party's St Luke's branch in Cork. In July 2011, Gay Mitchell
won Fine Gael's. Before that, Cox was "pleased" to help prepare Fine Gael's first-100-day strategy after it won the Irish general election, 2011.
Current affairs (news format)
Current Affairs is a genre of broadcast journalism where the emphasis is on detailed analysis and discussion of news stories that have recently occurred or are ongoing at the time of broadcast....
presenter. He was President
President of the European Parliament
The President of the European Parliament presides over the debates and activities of the European Parliament. He or she also represents the Parliament within the EU and internationally. The President's signature is required for enacting most EU laws and the EU budget.Presidents serve...
of the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
from 2002 to 2004 and served as a member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
from 1989–2004.
Before this Cox was a journalist and presenter with RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
's Today Tonight
Today Tonight (Ireland)
Today Tonight is an Irish news and current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis, robust cross-examination of senior politicians and investigative reporting. The programme was brodacast on RTÉ One for the first time on Monday 6 October 1982....
and then a Teachta Dála
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
(TD) for Cork South Central
Cork South Central (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Cork South–Central is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 5 deputies...
. He is now the President of the European Movement International.
Early and personal life
Born in Dublin but raised in LimerickLimerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
, Cox was educated at Ardscoil Rís
Ardscoil Rís, Limerick
Ardscoil Rís is an all boys Catholic secondary school located on the North Circular Road in Limerick, and consistently one of the top 5 non fee-paying boys schools in the Republic of Ireland. -History:...
in Limerick, the University of Limerick
University of Limerick
The University of Limerick is a university in Ireland near the city of Limerick on the island's west coast. It was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and became a university by statute in 1989 in accordance with the University of Limerick Act 1989...
and Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
. Cox is married to Cathy, and lived at Ashboro, Shanakiel in the Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
northside suburb of Sunday's Well for 16 years.
Early career
Cox first came to prominence as a journalist, then a presenter, with RTÉRTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
's Today Tonight
Today Tonight (Ireland)
Today Tonight is an Irish news and current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis, robust cross-examination of senior politicians and investigative reporting. The programme was brodacast on RTÉ One for the first time on Monday 6 October 1982....
, a four nights a week current affairs programme which dominated the Irish television schedules in the 1980s. He stood as a Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
candidate at the 1979 local elections. Cox left the programme to become a political candidate. He was elected an MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
in 1989
European Parliament election, 1989 (Ireland)
The 1989 European Parliament election in Ireland was the Irish component of the 1989 European Parliament election. The election was conducted under the single transferable vote.-Results:-Voting details:-See also:...
for the constituency of Munster
Munster (European Parliament constituency)
-1999 election :All sitting MEPs were re-elected.-1994 election:The constituency lost a seat and T. J. Maher and Gene Fitzgerald retired...
, representing the Progressive Democrats
Progressive Democrats
The Progressive Democrats , commonly known as the PDs, was a pro-free market liberal political party in the Republic of Ireland.Launched on 21 December 1985 by Desmond O'Malley and other politicians who had split from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats took liberal positions on...
(PDs). At the 1992 general election
Irish general election, 1992
The Irish general election of 1992 was held on Wednesday, 25 November 1992, almost three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 5 November. However, after difficulties in forming a government the newly elected 166 members of the 27th Dáil did not assemble at Leinster House until 4 January 1993...
he was also elected to Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
as a Teachta Dála
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
(TD) for Cork South Central
Cork South Central (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Cork South–Central is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 5 deputies...
.
Following Desmond O'Malley
Desmond O'Malley
Desmond Joseph "Des" O'Malley is a former Irish politician.Born in Limerick, O'Malley was raised in a local political dynasty that had a strong association with Fianna Fáil. Elected to Dáil Éireann in 1968, he quickly became a trusted confidante of Taoiseach Jack Lynch...
's retirement from the party leadership in 1993, Cox stood for election to the post, but was beaten by Mary Harney
Mary Harney
Mary Harney is a former Irish politician. She served as Tánaiste from 1997–2006, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from 1997–2004, and as Minister for Health and Children from 2004 to 2011...
. Cox became deputy leader.
European Parliament
Cox left the PDs in 1994 in a dispute over his seat as an MEPMember of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
. It was expected that Cox would not contest his seat in the 1994 European Elections, with O'Malley, who had a large Munster base in Limerick City and County Limerick
County Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
, becoming the party candidate. However Cox then decided to contest the seat as an independent, beating O'Malley, the PD candidate. On being elected, he resigned his Dáil seat and a by-election was held on 10 November 1994, which was won by Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
.
He was elected president of the ELDR group
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (European Parliament group)
The Group of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party was a liberal political group with seats in the European Parliament between 1994 and 2004. The group comprised the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party and its constituent national-level parties.Its predecessors have existed since...
in the European Parliament in 1998 and was unanimously re-elected Group President in June 1999 following the elections to the European Parliament. He resigned this post when he became President of the European Parliament on 15 January 2002 in accordance with an agreement between the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and the ELDR groups at the start of the term (in the customary two-way split of the five-year Presidency of the European Parliament). He succeeded the Frenchwoman Nicole Fontaine
Nicole Fontaine
Nicole Fontaine is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Île-de-France. She is a member of the Union for a Popular Movement, part of the European People's Party...
. At his first press conference following his election as president he spoke positively of direct talks between the Cypriot
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot President Rauf Denktaş
Rauf Denktas
Rauf Raif Denktaş is the founder and the first president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus , a de facto state which is only recognized by Turkey...
.
In July 2003 Cox took a personal telephone apology from Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...
after Berlusconi managed to offend several MEPs. The controversy arose after Berlusconi compared a German MEP to a Nazi concentration camp commandant.
On 20 May 2004 he was awarded the Charlemagne Prize (Karlspreis) for his achievements with regard to the enlargement of the European Union
Enlargement of the European Union
The Enlargement of the European Union is the process of expanding the European Union through the accession of new member states. This process began with the Inner Six, who founded the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952...
and for his work in promoting greater EU democratisation.
Cox did not contest the 2004 elections to the European parliament
European Parliament election, 2004
Elections to the European Parliament were held from 10 June 2004 to 13 June 2004 in the 25 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom...
. The Christian Democrats (European People's Party – EPP) and Socialist Groups agreed at the customary two-way split of the Presidency of the European Parliament. Josep Borrell Fontelles
Josep Borrell
Josep Borrell Fontelles is a Spanish politician. He was nominated President of the European University Institute on 12 December 2008, and assumed this position in January 2010. Borrell was President of the European Parliament from 20 July 2004 until 16 January 2007...
, a Spanish Socialist, assumed the Presidency on 20 July 2004, holding it until 15 January 2007.
Cox is a member of the Comite d'Honneur of the Institute of European Affairs. In 2006 he was elected President of European Movement
European Movement
The European Movement International is a lobbying association that coordinates the efforts of associations and national councils with the goal of promoting European integration, and disseminating information about it.-History:...
, an international pro European lobby association. In June 2009 Pat Cox temporarily stepped down as President and took over the position of the campaign director for the pro Lisbon treaty initiative Ireland for Europe
Ireland for Europe
Ireland for Europe was a civil society organisation set up after the defeat of the first Irish referendum to campaign in favour of the Treaty of Nice. Initially chaired by Adrian Langan, it was chaired by Ciarán Toland from October 2001. The campaign team was also led by Michelle O'Donnell and...
.
On 15 September 2010 Cox supported the new initiative Spinelli Group
Spinelli Group
The Spinelli Group is a pro-European initiative that was founded with a view to reinvigorate the strive for federalisation of the European Union , by creating a network of citizens, think tanks, NGOs, academics, writers and politicians who support the idea of a federal and united Europe...
, which was founded to reinvigorate the strive for federalisation of the European Union (EU). Other prominent supporters are: Jacques Delors
Jacques Delors
Jacques Lucien Jean Delors is a French economist and politician, the eighth President of the European Commission and the first person to serve three terms in that office .-French Politics:...
, Daniel Cohn-Bendit
Daniel Cohn-Bendit
Daniel Marc Cohn-Bendit is a Franco-German politician, active in both countries. He was a student leader during the unrest of May 1968 in France and he was also known during that time as Dany le Rouge...
, Guy Verhofstadt
Guy Verhofstadt
Guy Verhofstadt is a Belgian politician who was the 47th Prime Minister of Belgium from 1999 to 2008. He is currently a Member of the European Parliament and leader of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.- Early career :...
, Andrew Duff
Andrew Duff
Andrew Duff OBE is a Liberal Democrat politician, president of the Union of European Federalists, and a Member of the European Parliament for the East of England region of the UK....
, Elmar Brok
Elmar Brok
Elmar Brok is a German Member of the European Parliament and the former Chairman of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs. He was elected on the CDU ticket and sits with the European People's Party group...
.
He is a Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania
Order of the Star of Romania
The Order of the Star of Romania is Romania's highest civil order. It is awarded by the President of Romania...
and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic was founded as the senior order of knighthood by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi in 1951...
. He received the 2004 Charlemagne Prize for his efforts in the Eastward expansion of the European Union.
2011 presidential election
In June 2011, Irish media reported that Cox, who had said he wanted to stand as an independent candidate in 2011's Irish presidential election, was seeking to join Fine GaelFine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
to get the party's nomination. Fine Gael's national executive on 16 June 2011 approved his application to join the party's St Luke's branch in Cork. In July 2011, Gay Mitchell
Gay Mitchell
Gabriel "Gay" Mitchell is an Irish politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Dublin constituency since 2004. He is a member of Fine Gael, part of the European People's Party, and a former Teachta Dála for the Dublin South Central constituency from 1981–2007. He was defeated by...
won Fine Gael's. Before that, Cox was "pleased" to help prepare Fine Gael's first-100-day strategy after it won the Irish general election, 2011.
External links
- European Parliament Old President Pages – Cox
- International Crisis Group – Board Member Cox Profile
- Pat Cox Profile at University College DublinUniversity College DublinUniversity College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
(UCD)