- Born on 26 February 1926 in Koblenz, Germany

- Nationality: French

- Inspector of Finance (1954)

- Deputy Director of the Cabinet of French Prime Minister Edgar Faure (1954)

- Member of the National Assembly for the Puy-de-Dôme (1956‒1959, 1967‒1969, 1984‒1989 and 1993‒2002)

- State Secretary for Finance (1959‒1962)

- Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs (1962‒1966 and 1969‒1974)

- President of the French Republic (1974‒1981)

- Ex officio Member of the Constitutional Council (since 1981)

- President of the Auvergne Regional Council (1986‒2004)

- Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the National Assembly (1987‒1989 and 1993‒1997)

- Leader of the Union for French Democracy (UDF) (1988‒1996)

- Member of the European Parliament (1989‒1993)

- President of the European Movement International (1989‒1997)

- President of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (1997‒2004)

- Chairman of the Convention on the Future of Europe (2001‒2003)

- Member of the French Academy (since 2003)