Born in 1948. Ljubljana. Elected MP 1990, 1992, 1996 and 2000. Prime Minister of the first democratically elected Slovenian Government (1990-1992). Deputy Prime Minister (1993-1994) and Minister of Foreign Affairs (1993-1994 and June-November 2000). Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission for European Affairs (1996). President of the Christian Democrats of Slovenia (1990-2000). Chairman of the Council of the New Slovenia-Christian People’s Party (2001-2005). Vice-President of the EUCD (1996-1999), Vice president of the European People's Party (2006-2009). Elected representative of the National Assembly to the European Convention and elected member of its presidency (2002-2003). Elected Member of the European Parliament since 2004. Head of the Slovenian Delegation in the EPP-ED (2004-2006). Personal Representative of the Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE for Central Asia (2004-2005). Co-chair of informal all-party forum "MEPs Against Cancer" and the WG on Health. MEP since 2004.