Faucon, France
Wim Duisenberg, the first president of the European Central Bank, was found dead this week at his villa in the south of France. The 70-year-old Dutchman is believed to have suffered a heart attack and toppled into his pool, where he drowned. Duisenberg, who presided over the successful launch of the euro common currency in 1999, was considered the Alan Greenspan of Europe. He was famous for ignoring the fierce lobbying of various finance ministers in order to keep the currency stable. “Everything Duisenberg did, said, or possibly thought,” Amsterdam’s Volkskrant said, “was translated into currency exchange rates.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
What should you be stockpiling for 'World War Three'?In the Spotlight Britons advised to prepare after the EU tells its citizens to have an emergency kit just in case
-
Carnivore diet: why people are eating only meatThe Explainer 'Meatfluencers' are taking social media by storm but experts warn meat-only diets have health consequences
-
Scientists want to fight malaria by poisoning mosquitoes with human bloodUnder the radar Drugging the bugs
