Lawyer; actively involved in politics during adolescence. Since 1984, Member, Landtag (regional parliament), Baden-Württemberg, Germany; 1991-2005, Leader, CDU Landtag group; 2005-10, Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg, Germany; 2010-14 European Commissioner for Energy; 2014-16 European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society; since 2017 European Commissioner for Budget & Human Resources.