- Born on 6 February 1952 in Ettelbrück, Luxembourg

- Nationality: Luxembourgish

- Member of Parliament (1979‒1994, 2004‒2009)

- Member of the European Parliament (1982‒1984, 1994‒1999, since 2009)

- Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (1984‒1994, 2004‒2009)

- Member of the Assembly of Western European Union (1984‒1994, 2004‒2009)

- President of the Assembly of Western European Union (1987‒1990)

- Leader of the Luxembourg Democratic Party (DP) (1989‒1994)

- Minister for Cooperation, Humanitarian Action and Defence (1999‒2004)

- Minister for the Environment (1999‒2004)

- Vice-President of the Assembly of Western European Union (2009)