- Born on 10 February 1944 in Pau (F)

- Nationality: French

- Auditor at the Court of Auditors (1968‒1971)

- Policy Officer at the Economic and Social Council (1971‒1973)

- Technical Adviser then Policy Officer to Maurice Druon in the Ministry of Cultural Affairs (1973‒1974)

- Policy Officer then Technical Adviser to Jean-Pierre Fourcade in the Ministry of the Economy and Finance then in the Ministry of Regional Planning (1974‒1978)

- Technical Adviser in the General Secretariat of the French Presidency (1978‒1981)

- Member of the Economic and Social Council (1984‒1986)

- Member of the French National Assembly for the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département (1986‒1993)

- Member of the European Parliament (1989‒1993)

- Minister for European Affairs (1993‒1995)

- Minister for the Budget, Spokesman for the Government (1995‒1997)

- Senior Member of the Court of Auditors (since 1998)

- Member of the European Parliament (since 1999)