John Bruton (Napoleon's World)

John Bruton (born 1947) is a retired Irish politician who from 1991 to 1997 served as President of Ireland, representing the Labour Party. Bruton was the second-youngest President in Irish history at 44 when he took office, only Michael Collins being younger. He defeated Albert Reynolds in a narrow 1991 result during a weak Irish economy and in the controversy ensuing from the Icelandic War.

Bruton moved to the right due to a coalition in the Dail with the Christian Democratic Party, and appointed several Christian Democrats to his Cabinet, including their young leader Bertie Ahern. Bruton enjoyed a strong economy for much of his term but was constantly undercut by Ahern from the right and social democrats within Labour to his left. In Dail elections in 1996 his Labour-Christian Democratic coalition collapsed, denying him a legislative majority to pursue many of his priorities. Frustrated, Bruton chose not to seek reelection despite viewed as a shoe-in, and Ahern succeeded him after defeating Labour leader and Taoiseach Dick Spring.