Jean-Claude Trichet

European Central Bank 1942.12.20.–

ECB president who began sovereign bond purchases and pressed Ireland to request a bailout in the first phase of the euro crisis

Born in Lyon and trained at the École nationale d'administration, Trichet headed the French Treasury from 1987 and pursued the strong-franc policy that prepared monetary union with Germany. As governor of the Bank of France from 1993 he was seen as one of the architects of European monetary union, and on 1 November 2003 he succeeded Wim Duisenberg as President of the European Central Bank. In May 2010, after repeatedly denying it would buy sovereign bonds, he launched the Securities Markets Programme, and that autumn pressed the Irish government in secret letters to request a programme. He raised interest rates in April and July 2011 and left office in October.

Also known as: Jean-Claude Anne-Marie Louis Trichet