- Born on 17 June 1935 in Madrid, Spain

- Nationality: Spanish

- Master's in Law

- Lawyer to the Spanish Parliament (1958)

- Member of the Christian Social Democracy party, representing it at various European and international Congresses (1962)

- Member of the Management Board of the Christian Democratic Team of the Spanish State (1972)

- Secretary-General of Christian Democracy (1977)

- Vice-President of the Humanism and Democracy Foundation, Spanish partner of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (1985‒2003)

- Member of the European Parliament (1989‒2004)

- Vice-President of the European Parliament (1994‒1997)

- President of the Spanish Federal Council of the European Movement (1996‒2001)

- President of the European Parliament (1997‒1999)

- President of the European Movement International (1999‒2005)

- Chairman of the Delegation to the EU‒Bulgaria Joint Parliamentary Committee (2002‒2004)

- Honorary President of the European Movement International (2005)

- President of the European Parliament Former Members' Association (2006)

- President of the Jean Monnet Foundation for Europe in Lausanne (since 2008)