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Enda Kenny TD was Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland from March 2011 until he stepped down in June 2017.
In September 2008, following financial crisis, the Irish economy was left particularly exposed. The then government’s measures were unsustainable and in November 2010 they had formally applied to enter a programme with the European Commission, the ECB and the IMF.
Against this background, Enda Kenny assumed the role of Taoiseach in the general elections in March 2011 and under his leadership, Ireland regained full access to the financial markets in 2013; unemployment, which had stood at over 15%, dropped to 6%, and interest rates on Irish borrowing fell from 15% to zero; a remarkable turnaround.
He conducted the Presidency of the EU in 2013 and oversaw the agreement of its budget of €960 billion, and served as Vice President of the European People’s Party at the European Parliament for 6 years. His press conference with President Trump in the White House for St. Patrick's Day in March 2017 and his contribution on the topic immigration was followed by millions.
During his premiership, in 2015 his government held a referendum and changed the Irish constitution to allow for same sex marriages, following the report of a citizen's convention on the issue. He formed a citizens assembly whose recommendations were put to the people in a referendum and the law was subsequently changed to provide abortion in Ireland.
Mr. Enda Kenny led the Fine Gael to victory at the 2011 General Election, with his party becoming the largest in the state for the first time. Under his leadership Fine Gael became the largest party in local, Dáil and European Parliament level, an unprecedented result. He became Taoiseach for the second time in 2016.
He retired from National politics in January 2020. He has since taken on roles as advisor to a think tank focusing on increasing Irish trade and understanding with China, and is chairman of the advisory council for an Irish private equity firm which focuses on impact investing within Ireland
As a speaker, Enda Kenny delivers a comprehensive view of global issues drawing on his vast domestic and international experience, putting the current rapidly changing global political and economic landscape into context.
Business audiences learn from his insights into the decision-making and leadership. He can provide an unrivalled perspective on Brexit developments as well as valuable insights on the rise of populist politicians and parties around the globe and the future of Europe in a globalised world.
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