- Born on 3 April 1944 in Luxembourg City (L)

- Journalist

- General Secretary of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP) (1971–1985)

- President of the Luxembourg Association of Journalists (1972–1974)

- Councillor for Luxembourg City (1976–2005)

- State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Cooperation and State Secretary for Small Businesses (1984–1989)

- Minister for the Economy, Minister for Public Works, Minister for Transport (1989–1994)

- Minister for the Economy, Minister for Public Works, Minister for Energy (1994–1999)

- Member of the European Parliament (1999–2014), Vice-President of the Parliamentary Group of the Party of European Socialists (1999–2004) and Vice-President of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament (2004–2009)